Fasi della Luna
by JulietVargas
Summary: Fasi della Luna Phases of the Moon Follow the Vargas twins in their different dealings with the supernatural side of night. Main pairings Spamano and Gerita. Other pairings Prunada, Franchelles, Nelgium, AusHung, SwisLiech, USUK, and others. Human Names
1. Part 1 Op

**Part 1: First New Moon**

What have you got in your knapsack fair,  
>White moon, bright moon, pearling the air,<br>Spinning your bobbins and fabrics free,  
>Fleet moon, sweet moon, in to the sea?<br>Turquoise and beryl and rings of gold,  
>Clear moon, dear moon, ne'er to be sold?<br>Roses and lilies, romance and love,  
>Still moon, chill moon, swinging above?<br>Slender your feet as a white birds throat,  
>High moon, shy moon, drifting your boat<br>Into the murk of the world awhile,  
>Slim moon, dim moon, adding a smile.<br>Tender your eyes as a maiden's kiss,  
>Fine moon, wine moon, no one knows this,<br>Under the spell of your witchery,  
>Dream moon, cream moon, first he kissed me.<p>

**The New Moon** by Zora Bernice May Cross


	2. Chapter 1

**Ch.1 **

I have never met a vampire personally, but I don't know what might happen tomorrow.  
><strong>Bela Lugosi<strong>

~*L*~

Lovino Vargas was in a foul mood...not that there was anything unusual about that. One would rarely find the 19 year old Italian in what could be described as a "good" mood, except around his younger twin brother. Feliciano Vargas was the only one that Lovino ever showed a smile to. He was the only one that he would speak more than curses and simple sentences to. And he was the only one that could make the older prickly Italian boy laugh.

But Lovino was currently not at their apartment right now and even if he were, Feliciano would still be at work in the small Italian café about three blocks away. So instead, the older Italian was stuck drumming his hands on the counter of the coffee shop where he spent five fucking hours each night after six miserable hours behind the counter of a music store each day. True the music store at least gave him an hour break for lunch and he didn't start at the coffee shop till 6, but still, life was hell. Two jobs and no schooling beyond a High School Diploma, and even that had nearly not happened. But that was the price he was grudgingly willing to pay to keep his brother fed and having a nice apartment to live and paint in. So long as Feliciano was happy and continued to earn enough money to go to school at the Fine Arts Academy in the nearby city, then Lovino would do all he could to keep it that way...whether he liked it or not.

The bell over the door tinkled and he raised his head lazily and grumpily from the counter to greet the customer.

"Hello. Welcome to the _Little Lotte_ what can I get you." He drawled.

"Oh you work here as well?" an overly cheerful and slightly too familiar Spanish accent broke him out of his lethargy. His eyes snapped into clear focus and found...

"You?" he gasped in shock.

The emerald eyed and tousle haired Spaniard before him grinned and winked.

"Me." He placed his hands on the counter a little too close to Lovino's own, "Long time no see Lovi."

"I told you not to call me that bastard." Lovino grumbled, folding his arms across his chest to get them away from the Spaniard's slightly larger ones, "What the hell are you doing here anyways. Hiding from your _fangirls_ again?"

The man laughed and shook his head.

"Nah I felt like a cappuccino."

Lovino sighed and nodded.

"One cappuccino coming up. What size?"

The Spaniard grinned.

"Large naturally. I need lots of energy tonight."

Lovino nodded and tried not to act interested in what the man was referring to. Outwardly he grumbled, "Like you need any more energy, fucking cheerful bastard."

The Spaniard waved a finger teasingly.

"Now Lovi you should know better than to call your customers foul names."

"I don't." Lovino snapped, "You're not a customer."

The man's eyes went a bit wide.

"Does that mean we're friends?"

"Hell no!" Lovino snapped whirling around with the coffee in a to-go mug and slamming it onto the counter.

"Take it and get out."

The Spaniard grinned at him and lifted the cup to his lips taking a tentative sip.

"Mm..." his eyes brightened and he looked at Lovino in amazement, "Lovi, this is amazing! The best cappuccino I've had in centuries!"

Lovino tried to deny the fact that his chest and cheeks warmed at the praise as he smirked.

"Pshh well duh. You've probably never had Italian coffee before. We make it right. Much better than the crap that Americans call coffee."

The Spaniard grinned and nodded.

"Es magnífico!"

Lovino couldn't stop himself from actually smiling...a little bit damnit.

"Well now you've had your coffee and tried it so...get out."

The Spaniard grinned and winked before walking to the door.

"Sure sure Lovi. Oh..." he stopped and turned back pulling a wallet from his back pocket, "How much do I owe you."

Lovino waved a hand lazily as he turned to go into the back room.

"Business has been slow lately and I frankly don't care. It's on the house."

The man placed the wallet back and smiled.

"Gracias Lovi! Goodbye for now!"

He waved cheerfully and was out the door.

Lovino turned back towards the door as soon as he was certain it had been closed for a good few moments.

"Goodbye...Antonio."

~*L*~

"Vee~ Fratello what are you looking at?"

Lovino gave a little yelp and whirled around to find Feliciano standing behind him, still dressed in his restaurant uniform.

"When did you get in?" he growled, attempting to force his heart to stop racing.

"Vee~ Just now. Didn't you hear me come in?"

Lovino shook his head and pulled an earbud out to show why.

Feliciano frowned, "You shouldn't have them on so loud fratello, you're going to damage your ears."

Lovino glared at him and shrugged.

"Dun care."

Feliciano frowned and slid his schoolbag from his shoulder.

"You should."

Lovino rolled his eyes and turned his attention away from his younger twin until Feli hopped onto the couch next to him and tried to look at his computer screen.

"So what are you looking at anyways?"

Lovino slammed the screen shut and glared daggers at the boy.

"None of your business."

Feliciano pouted.

"But I'm curious."

Lovino growled in the back of his throat like a cat.

It was Feliciano's turn to roll his eyes as he got up.

"Fine. Don't show me. It's probably dirty pictures of naked girls anyways. I've got homework to do."

He grabbed his bag and left the room before turning back and fishing something out of it. He placed a small sack on the table in front of his older brother.

"Dinner. I know you haven't eaten yet. Don't stay up too late."

With a wave and a wink he was off down the hall to his room.

"I'm the one that should be telling you that." Lovino grumbled, but smiled at his twins concern for his well being as he retrieved the sack and flipped his computer screen open once more. He scanned the listings.

"Damn there are over 1,000 results for Antonio Carreido. Bastard has a fucking popular name." he murmured and typed in another word after the name.

_Antonio Carreido famous_

He pressed enter and new options popped up, but still far too many to search through.

He gritted his teeth and dug into the bag in annoyance.

"Why do I even care about the stupid bastard?"

He brought out a container of penne with sun dried tomatoes and his stomach growled in anticipation and appreciation.

"Damn Feli knows my tastes far too well."

He began to feast as he let his mind wander back over the previous question.

_Why do I care about that bastard Antonio?_

He closed his eyes and was in the music store once more.

~*FB*~

It was a lazy day like usual. Boys came in and pretended to rock out with guitars and drums until he angrily ordered them away from the merchandise and threatened to have them banned from the store if they touched it again. They stuck their tongues and middle fingers at him and left the store guffawing to each other. Lovino had wanted to go after and beat some respect into their thick skulls but...he couldn't leave the store. Shortly after a group of giggling girls came in and...after gawking at him with blushes and batting eyelashes...asked about piano music...and tickets for a band called Blood Moon Rising. The name had been new to Lovino who had just received the tickets from his boss the day before and informed him how much to sell them for. He pulled them out of a drawer and held them out to the girls.

"Fourty bucks. A piece."

The girls frowned.

"We don't have that much. Shirly you could make an exception and lower the price a bit?" the red head smiled at him playfully and reached a perfectly manicured hand across the table to...caress his own. He pulled his hand back sharply and glared at her.

"Fourty. _No_ exceptions."

The girl pouted and folded her arms.

"You're no fun."

"You're not a good flirt." Lovino countered, slipping the tickets back in the drawer.

The girls gasped and looked like they had just been slapped across the face.

"Fuck off." The red head shouted angrily and left the store with her two friends in a huff.

Lovino groaned and lay his head on the counter.

"Fuck. That was the first person to ask for those tickets and I blew the sale. My life sucks."

"Oh it really can't be that bad." A slightly amused voice spoke from underneath the counter.

"Oh really well...The hell!" Lovino shouted knocking his chair over and slamming his back into the cabinet of records.

"Shhh...someone might hear you and then they'll find me."

"There's no one here but me and...who the hell are you? How did you get under my couter?"

A head popped out from the under the counter and bright emerald eyes caught his own. The man gave a bright smile and crawled out farther.

"Names Antonio...and I've been under there for about half an hour. When you went to yell at those boys I snuck in here to escape the fangirls."

Lovino snorted and folded his arms.

"Fangirls right. And I've got fucking mobs of admirers busting down my doors everyday."

"Really?" Antonio exclaimed his eyes widening, "That must be terribly exciting!"

Lovino simply gaped at him.

"Do you not understand the concept of sarcasm?"

"Oh I understand it." Antonio grinned, straightening up to his full height...a good several inches taller than Lovino, "I just don't notice it very easily." He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Lovino just continued to stare at him. Taking in the messy deep chocolate hair, white button shirt, form fitting jeans...he found his face heating up as he noticed that last part...and lightly tanned skin.

"Do I have something on my clothes?" Antonio asked curiously, following the boy's...lovely grass green...eyes over himself.

Lovino snapped his head up abruptly and stared at the ceiling.

"No...no. I was just checking for hidden weapons. I still don't fucking trust you. You were hiding under my counter for a fucking half an hour without my knowledge after all!"

Antonio grinned sheepishly and held his palms out defensively.

"Yeah sorry bout that. Like I said. Needed a place to hide from the fangirls."

Lovino sighed in annoyance and picked his chair up.

"Yeah whatever. Now why don't you leave?"

Antonio looked around him, particularly outside, before he smiled and walked out from behind the counter.

"Yeah it looks clear now. I do need to get going anyways."

Lovino rolled his eyes and settled back with a huff in his chair.

"But first."

Suddenly Antonio was leaning over the counter and staring straight into Lovino's eyes with a supercilious grin.

"The hell are you doing?" Lovino practically squeaked.

Antonio grinned.

"We didn't properly get introduced." He held out a hand, "Antonio Carreido."

Lovino just stared at it then back at the man's cheerful face before he groaned and shook it.

"Lovino Vargas."

Antonio grinned as they dropped hands.

"It was great to meet you Lovi. Thanks for letting me hide here. Bye now!"

Before Lovino even knew what had happened the strange _Spaniard_ was out of the store.

"What the..." he launched out of his chair and ran to the door flinging it open and stepping onto the sidewalk.

"I didn't let you hide in there...I didn't even fucking know you were under my counter! And don't call me Lovi you fucking bastard!"

~*End FB*~

Lovino opened his eyes and was back in the living room of his apartment. He stared down to the computer screen and tried to make himself focus but his mind kept wandering over the other encounters with Antonio. For about three weeks after that first initial meeting, the Spaniard would randomly show up in the music store and hide from _fangirls_ in different places. Generally Lovino could tell immediately when he was there, but sometimes, the man would just suddenly be there and explain that he had been hiding for awhile. Antonio never explained _why_ he _had _fangirls and Lovino, being the stubborn and proud Italian that he was, never asked.

Now however, he just couldn't contain his curiosity anymore and typed in a different word behind the Spaniards name.

_Antonio Carreido celebrity_

Again new choices came up but nothing that looked remotely promising.

"Vee~ try searching for a band called Blood Moon Rising. They're relatively local and I think the lead singer has that name."

Lovino yelped and whirled around. Feliciano had come back out of his room and was resting his arms on the back of the couch while gazing over Lovino's shoulder.

"Why are you out here again?" Lovino snapped, considering shutting the computer again but...considering Feliciano had already seen the screen and said something about it...decided against it.

Feliciano grinned and offered a soda.

"I was thirsty and thought you might be too."

He settled down into a comfortable armchair drawing his feet up indian style.

"How did you like the food?"

Lovino grunted and shrugged.

"Was alright."

Feliciano hid his smile behind the soda can.

Lovino took a sip of his own soda and looked curiously at his twin.

"What did you say before? Something about a band?"

Feliciano cocked his head thinking.

"Oh yeah. I said that if you're looking for someone famous and local named Antonio Carreido then you should search for a band called Blood Moon Rising...cuz I think that's the name of their singer."

Lovino's eyebrows rose.

_Blood Moon Rising? Hadn't that been the name of the band whose tickets he was supposed to sell?_

His fingers clicked over the keyboard as he typed in the new search.

_Blood Moon Rising, Erescello Minnesota_

He took a breath...

_Why do I care about that bastard again?_

And pressed enter.


	3. Chapter 2

_"So-what's it like, being a vampire?"_

_"Aline!" Isabelle looked appalled. "You can't just go around asking people what's it like to be a vampire!"_

_"I don't see why," Aline said. "He hasn't been a vampire that long, has he? So he must still remember what it was like being a person." She turned back to Simon. "Does blood taste like blood to you? Or does it taste like something else now, like orange juice or something? Because I would think the taste of blood would-"_

_"It tastes like chicken," Simon said, just to shut her up._

_"Really?" Aline looked astonished._

_"He's making fun of you, Aline," said Sebastain"_  
><strong>― Cassandra Clare, <em>City of Glass<em>**

~*A*~

"Antonio we've been over this time and again. We're not writers. You might be able to pull words out of thin air under pressure but we can't. We're just bloody musicians."

Arthur Kirkland was getting fed up with the pointless meeting inside the recording studio.

"I thought a week would be enough time for you to become writers." Antonio sighed, the usual grin that was on his face had disappeared about an hour ago. The concert in Erescello a week ago had gone well, but since then, band meetings had been tense and usually ended in vicious arguments.

"Toni mon ami, why can't you zimply accept Ludwig's lyrics and thank him for helping us?" Francis Bonnefoy asked gently.

"The frogs right for once." Arthur agreed, laying his head in his arms over his electric guitar.

Antonio turned to Gilbert.

"I'm sorry me amigo. I know your hermano went to the trouble but...his lyrics just hold no romance."

Gilbert Beilschmidt folded his hands behind his head and yawned.

"Well what can I say. The guy's completely devoid of feeling love for anyone outside of the pack. Hence he doesn't even write about it. I'm not even sure if what he feels for us is love."

Arthur groaned into his arms.

"Do we have to hear about pack troubles at what is _supposed_ to be a rehearsal of our _chosen_ song?"

Gilbert smirked at him.

"Kesesese the little magician is getting ticked."

Arthur glared back at him from underneath his enormous eyebrows.

"How many times do I have to say I'm a wizard. I got promoted from _magician _decades ago."

Gilbert smirked even more.

"Well lada aren't we special. And how does your little boy toy feel about you being _so _much older?"

Arthur gritted his teeth and his hair began to stand up and flutter in a light wind he was creating.

"You fucking take back what you just called Alfred or else..."

"Or else what." Gilbert bared his teeth, the hair on the back of his neck rising as he flexed his...now slightly clawed...hands.

"Enough of this." A girl's voice shouted out irritably, "Arthur relax. And Gilbert...heal."

All eyes in the room turned to look at their co managers that had just entered the room.

Bella Peeters stood with hands on hips glaring at each of the members in turn. Her companion Kiku Honda looked slightly worried but for the most part composed as he addressed the lead member.

"Antonio. Have you come to a decision regarding the needed lyrics?"

Antonio sighed and rubbed his eyes with his palms before he looked at his members.

"Well as this isn't getting us anywhere I guess I have no choice."

He held out a hand to Gilbert.

"Give me your brother's lyrics."

~*L*~

The doorbell rang and Lovino looked up in anticipation, but it wasn't Antonio that came striding confidently into the store. It was a man with bright crystalline blue eyes and dirty blond hair with a strange piece that stuck up much like his own weird curl, only this man's was cow lick like. The guy looked around a bit before catching his eyes and grinning with _far _too shiny white teeth. He strutted over to the counter and put a hand on it.

"Hey dude. Maybe you can help me out. I'm looking for a guitar."

Lovino sighed and stood up coming out from behind the counter. He didn't like the guys attitude and cheerful smile one bit. Far too excited...like Feliciano and...Antonio...except this bastard was definitely American. Pure blooded.

"Let me show you where they are."

"Much obliged mate."

Lovino gave him a strange look at which the American grinned.

"Sorry dude I sometimes slip into British speak."

Lovino was about to say that that wasn't as the guy put it..._British Speak_...when the American gave a whistle.

"Wow you got a lot of instruments here."

"It is a music store." Lovino grumbled arriving at the guitar section, "What are you looking for exactly?"

"Electric." The young man grinned looking at the selection of guitars.

"Any particular brand?" Lovino asked, getting rather irritated with the American.

"Nope." He grinned continuing to stare, "All I know is that he plays electric in his band and hates my acoustic. And it's his birthday today."

Lovino blinked at the American.

"Today? Cutting it a bit close aren't we?"

Alfred grinned sheepishly, "Yeah...but I couldn't think of something perfect to get him till he mentioned last night that his guitar was starting to not work as well."

Lovino couldn't stop himself from showing some curiosity.

"Brother?"

"Boyfriend." The young man corrected with a grin and a wink, "About five months now."

"Oh." Lovino found the back of his neck heating up for _god knows_ why. "And you're getting him an electric guitar after just five months?"

"Why not?" the American boy grinned, "He's really special to me and we moved in together about two weeks ago."

"I see." Lovino coughed, thinking that moving in together after just five months seemed a little bit rushing things, "Well how much money are you willing to spend?"

"Money aint an issue mate." The guy grinned pulling out a bulging wallet, "Alfred F. Jones is loaded."

Lovino gaped as the guy pulled at least five hundreds and several fifty's..._was it really safe for him to carry that much money around_...from the wallet.

Alfred grinned at him wider and replaced the money.

"So what would you recommend?"

Lovino shook himself from his amazement and began pointing out different guitars and explaining the benefits of each.

"This one's got great sound and it's definitely better for professional rather than personal use."

He gestured to a shiny blue guitar with white and red streaks on it.

"Interesting color though." He mused.

Alfred grinned and clapped his hands together.

"It's perfect. Looks kinda like the British flag. Artie will love it!"

"Artie?" Lovino guffawed, "Who the hell names their kid Artie?"

"Artie's what I call him." Alfred explained, accepting the guitar cheerfully as Lovino removed it from the wall, "Arthur is his actual name. Arthur Kirkland."

Lovino couldn't hide his surprise.

"Arthur Kirkland?"

"Yeah you know of him?" Alfred asked in surprise and slight jealous suspicion, "How?"

Lovino shrugged, he wasn't about to tell Alfred that he had found his boyfriend's name while searching for information on _Blood Moon Rising_, "Think I just heard it around somewhere. Maybe it was related to a band some people were talking about in here earlier. I really don't know."

Alfred's suspicion seemed to melt instantly.

"Wow people in here talk about Artie's band? I didn't know they were that popular?"

Lovino snorted as he rang up the guitar and accepted the money from Alfred, "Doesn't he talk to you about it?"

"No he doesn't believe in mixing work and pleasure."

Lovino found his entire body flushing this time at the word _pleasure_.

Alfred grinned oblivious to the Italian's discomfort.

"Then again...Artie doesn't talk much. He just listens to me ramble about my day and other stuff."

Lovino handed the guitar and receipt over to Alfred with an understanding shrug. He didn't talk much with Feliciano either, proffering to hear about how his younger brother was fairing in his classes and coping at work. He sometimes considered taking on a third job so that the younger Italian could focus entirely on school, but...Feliciano would never allow it...he would argue that more work would be detrimental to Lovino's health and sanity.

Lovino smiled at the thought of his brother's worried face as the slightly smaller boy chided him.

Alfred caught the smile and asked curiously.

"You got someone like that too?"

Lovino looked at him and shook his head, not saying a word.

Alfred shrugged and headed out the door with a wave and a, "Thanks for the help man!"

Lovino watched the door for a little bit before he got up and went to flip the open sign to closed. It was almost five o'clock anyways and he doubted anyone would come in within the next fifteen minutes. Besides he was suddenly feeling even more grumpy and irritable than he had an hour ago. He tried to deny the reason of why as he locked the main door and pulled the curtains down over the windows. He had made a sale...a rather profitable sale too...the guitar Alfred had chosen wasn't cheep...not at all. But Alfred had unknowingly reminded him about Blood Moon Rising and Blood Moon Rising reminded him of...Antonio...and the fact that...like every day for the past week...the Spanish bastard had not shown up.

Why that bothered him?...Hell if he knew!

~*A*~

"Toni can't you sing it with more...well more." Bella asked through the headphones.

Antonio ran a hand over his eyes and bit his lip.

"Sorry Bells I can't give much more to lyrics that don't mean anything to me."

The other members groaned.

"You said you would." Arthur grumbled, checking his watch again...he was supposed to meet up with Alfred at BJs about half an hour ago and though his boyfriend had assured him on the phone that it was fine and he would just wait outside for him till he got there, he didn't want to keep the young man waiting all night...he wasn't that type of guy.

"Please Tonio, try and put zome feeling into it. They really are good lyrics, Ludwig does this for a living after all...just not what you're used to."

"Kesesesese. He's got plenty of other bands that would jump through hoops to get ahold of his lyrics." Gilbert grinned proudly. His brother was one of the best and most popular lyrist in the state and really popular throughout the whole country. Only problem was that he just couldn't right any love songs. Not _real_ love songs anyways. He was really good at family and comfort songs but love...it just evaded him. Gilbert really hoped that his younger Alpha would find a mate soon and become more...open and expressive of his emotions, beyond anger...he was _really_ good at that emotion.

Antonio sighed and turned to the others.

"I'm sorry guys. We might as well call it a day. Arthur's got a hot date and I just can't sing a song with passion when it has none."

He lifted the headphones off of his head and exited the recording room to collapse on the couch in the other room. Kiku came over to him as the other members filed out and headed off in different directions.

"Antonio you seem a bit less cheerful than usual. You've been able to take a song with not much emotion and turn it into something amazing in the past. Why are you having such trouble now?"

Antonio just shook his head.

"I don't know."

He sighed. That was a lie of course...he knew exactly why. He hadn't had his _Lovi fix_ in a week. There was a reason why he kept going back to that music store and _hiding_ from his fangirls. Sure sometimes that was why he entered the store...but generally he simply used that as an excuse to get close to the boy. Lovi was generally irritated by something and cold to him. He snapped and cursed at him a lot and slapped his hands away whenever he tried to tousle the boy's hair and call him a cute little tomato. Because that was why Antonio was drawn to Lovino Vargas...the boy smelled of tomatoes and if there was one thing that Antonio couldn't resist...it was tomatoes. Bella smelled like tomatoes sometimes, after she had eaten them and gotten some of the juice on her apron, but she _herself_ smelled of sweet dough and that was Nathanial's taste...not his. Still, in the past he had satisfied his tomato craving with Bella, not always to the full extent that his body needed. But Lovino...the boy actually smelled of tomatoes _himself_. Antonio had noticed it immediately even through the glass windows of the shop and had raced towards it, thinking it as good a place to hide as any, and if there was someone inside that _smelled _of tomatoes...then he was going to find them. And so he had kept going back to the store to get his tomato fix...his _Lovi fix_. But ever since the night of the concert Antonio had been stuck in pointless rehearsals where he tried to get the other three to come up with lyrics and hedged around using Ludwig's lyrics. They weren't bad lyrics at all...they just...weren't him. They didn't embody what he was and the emotions that he felt. They weren't something that he would want to sing to Lovi. _Lovi_...oh god _Lovi_. He bit his lip again and tasted his own sweet syrupy blood. No good...it was just no good...

He got up from the couch and leaned against the wall.

Bella and Kiku looked at him worriedly but said nothing. They didn't want to push him when he didn't seem to be himself. Bella especially felt worried.

"It's New Moon."

Kiku looked confused.

"What does that mean?"

Antonio shook his head and breathed in deeply.

_No good...can't help myself...can't resist much longer..._

"It means his blood lust is up and...because he hasn't taken any for over a week...it'll be especially dangerous by midnight."

Kiku looked over at Antonio who seemed to be wrestling with something inside himself.

_No good..._Antonio repeated over and over in his mind.

He longed to take Lovino into his arms and...

Suddenly he straightened and walked confidently into the recording room.

Bella and Kiku watched mystified as he stood before the microphone and picked up the earphones.

"Bells play the music recording again. I know you've recorded _them_ well at least."

Bella nodded and went over to the soundboard flicking on the band's music recording. She gave a thumbs up hastily to Antonio as the music began to echo through her earphones and his.

He gave a brief thumbs up to her as well before he opened his mouth and began to sing.

"_Even through the darkest phase_

_Be it thick or thin_

_Always someone marches brave_

_Here beneath my skin_

_And Constant Craving_

_Has Always Been..."_

~*L*~

Lovino was preparing to flip the open sign to closed when a cloaked and huddled figure slipped through the door. He glared at the stranger.

"We're closing up now so if you want anything more than a simple drink, go someplace else."

"Hahaha come on Lovi give me a break I would have been here sooner but that slight rainstorm earlier slowed me down."

Lovino gaped in astonishment as the _stranger _removed his cloak and Antonio was suddenly standing before him in yet another button shirt..._didn't the bastard have any different shirts?_...with his usual overly cheerful grin and dancing emerald eyes.

Lovino folded his arms and glared at the man.

"What are you doing here bastard?"

Antonio smiled and dropped his coat onto a stool.

"I wanted to see you Lovi. I haven't visited you in the music store for a week."

Lovino bit back his retort and instead busied himself with dropping down the blinds on the windows. Why did things always have to happen to him right before closing time...it always meant that his mind was only half occupied at the necessary tasks.

Finally after several moments of silence he decided to at least say...something.

"And you chose eleven fucking o'clock at night to _visit_ me? I have to do all the tasks involved with closing the shop bastard."

Antonio looked around curiously.

"There's no one else here? I didn't think you would be alone at work all the time."

"They went home a little while ago." Lovino waved a hand dismissively and grabbed a rag and bucket from the cleaning closet, "They're both high school students so they should have time to do homework instead of having to close a fucking coffee shop."

Antonio smiled a bit at the clear revelation that Lovino cared about his fellow employees well beings. He wondered if Lovino had anyone else to worry about as well...family...a girlfriend perhaps. He pushed that...strangely gut wrenching...thought aside and looked back at the boy curiously.

"What about you? Don't you have school work as well?"

"I'm not a fucking high schooler!" Lovino shouted in outrage flinging the rag angrily over another table, "I'm 19."

Antonio smiled apologetically.

"I knew you were out of high school. I meant...don't you go to college?"

Lovino snorted and threw the rag back in the bucket as he headed back into the supply cabinet for the mop.

"I work at the music store during the day and here at night. What do you think?"

Antonio gaped at him.

"Everyday?"

"Pretty much." Lovino sighed whisking the mop around the floor in a half hearted attempt to make it better than usual, "Raise your feet bastard."

Antonio sat in a chair and pulled his feet up so Lovino could mop underneath them. He watched the young man work with interest and growing...anticipation?

"Hey Lovi have you had dinner yet?"

The Italian looked up at him from mopping suspiciously and decided to lie.

"Yeah I got out of my first job early and had a big bowl of pasta before coming here."

He gave a grimace as his stomach contradicted his statement with an audible growl.

Antonio suppressed a laugh.

"Oh really?"

Lovino glared at him.

"Fine then. But I did get off work early and have a few tomatoes."

Antonio felt his smile falter as his heart gave a lurch.

_Lovino eats tomatoes? Often? Is that why he "smells" of tomatoes? He's like Bella?_

Antonio shook his head much to Lovino's confusion.

"What's wrong bastard? Don't believe me?" the younger man growled.

Antonio blinked and grinned.

"Oh no I believe you. I was just lost in thought for a moment."

Lovino cocked an eyebrow before he shrugged and got back to mopping.

"How was work today by the way?" Antonio continued, wanting to keep the Italian talking so he could try and keep his thoughts away from his troubling worries. It was _Lovino _that smelled of tomatoes...it _was _him.

Lovino shrugged.

"Like any other day. Yelled at some kids and sold a bit of merchandise. Oh but I did make a good sale."

Antonio was genuinely curious.

"Really?"

"Yeah." Lovino sighed, finishing with the mopping and heading behind the counter to begin the wiping down of the counters and other surfaces, "A guy came in and bought an expensive electric guitar for his boyfriend for his birthday."

He risked a look at Antonio to see how he took the revelation but nothing beyond curiosity showed on the Spaniard's damn cheerful face.

Lovino shook his head and gritted his teeth. Then something came back to him.

"Oh but I think you might know the guy he was buying it for. Name of Kirkland. Arthur Kirkland."

He noticed that that got Antonio's full attention.

"Arthur?"

"Mm." Lovino mumbled, pleased that he had knocked the overly cheerful man off kilter. But he wasn't expecting the Spanish bastard to leap from his seat nearly slipping on the freshly mopped floor in excitement.

"All right! Way to go Alfred! I was a bit concerned about their date since rehearsals didn't go well and Arthur left in a foul mood but if Al got him a new guitar for his birthday then that should cheer him up considerably!"

Lovino stared at the cheery grin and closed eyes of the slightly older man before he sighed and dropped the rag.

"I take it you knew about your band mates relationship then?"

Antonio blinked at him.

"Of course. We know everything about each other. Me, Gil, and Francis have been friends forever and our managers Bella and Kiku introduced us to Arthur when they explained we needed another guitar player so that I could focus more on singing and..." Suddenly Antonio's eyes went wide and his smile grew even brighter..._was that even fucking possible?_

"Lovi...you found out about my band!"

Lovino shrugged.

"I work in a fucking music store. Someone was bound to say something about your band and its members eventually."

_Lies_...No one that came into the music store had ever mentioned Blood Moon Rising since that first day when the girls had tried to weasel the tickets for a lower price and he had discovered Antonio under the counter.

"But still you listened and found out!" Antonio was excited beyond belief, "Oh Lovi I'm so happy. And guess what I wrote a song tonight!"

"Isn't that what you're supposed to do?" Lovino asked, trying to deny that the other's excitement and energy was making him feel better by the minute.

"Not always. A lot of performers actually get their lyrics from a writer." Antonio explained, "In fact we almost had to do that too but...after everyone left and I listened to my heart...I found lyrics from my own feelings." He finished his statement by flinging his hands out from his chest.

Lovino didn't know what was happening before he had buried his head in his arms and was shaking.

"Lovi?" Antonio asked worriedly coming closer to the younger man, "Is something wrong?"

"No..." a choked and mumbled voice responded, "I just..."

And then Antonio heard the soft gasps and outbursts of...laughter...Lovino was laughing!

Antonio stared at the boy in shock. Never had he seen Lovino laugh...despite all his teasing and attempts to get the Italian to laugh before.

Antonio grinned and started laughing himself.

"What did I do? This?"

He repeated the action again just as Lovino peeked over his arms.

The young man dropped back into his arms and began to shake with even harder laughter.

"Lovi what if I did this?"

Antonio leapt onto a chair in excitement at having made the boy burst into laughter and flung his arms out again and teetered dangerously on the stool.

Lovino was gone. The last outburst had been too much and he had slipped off the counter and literally onto the ground in utter hysterics.

Antonio began laughing until he heard a sharp gasp of pain.

"Ouch fuck!"

"Lovi?" he got off the chair quickly and hurried to the counter peering over. Lovino was on the floor cradling his hand with pain etched on his face.

"What happened?" Antonio was acutely aware that the scent of tomatoes had grown stronger and he was fairly certain what that meant.

"Piece of cup on the floor. Rachelle broke one earlier but I thought she had swept all of it up."

He winced as he pulled the piece of ceramic out of his index finger, "Damn this is what comes of giving into laughter. Why me?"

Antonio wanted to smile at the boys ranting but the smell of tomatoes was far too overpowering and he felt himself losing control as he vaulted easily over the counter and knelt beside Lovino.

"Let me see it." He instructed, in a voice that Lovino noticed didn't carry any amusement or cheerfulness at all.

"It'll be fine." Lovino protested trying to get up but Antonio grabbed his hand with vice like strength.

"I said let me see it." The older man repeated, in that overly calm tone that Lovino found himself strangely adverse to.

Antonio brought the finger up before his face and sighed closing his eyes.

"Yes there you are. Hello beautiful." He whispered in a musical lilt.

Lovino gawked at him.

"What the hell are you?..."

He was cut off when Antonio brought the finger close to his lips and smiled..._was that cruel pleasure_?

"Don't worry Lovi. I know just what to do."

Before Lovi could protest his finger had disappeared inside Antonio's mouth.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he shouted in outrage trying to pull his hand away but the older man's grip was too strong. And then he felt the pinprick as his cut finger was cut even more by an overly sharp tooth.

"What the...?" Lovino stared in shock as Antonio opened his eyes. His dazzling emerald orbs had been replaced by bright red ones. _Blood_ red ones.

"Oh shit!" Lovino screamed and tried even more desperately to get away but Antonio ignored his struggling as if they were nothing and forced him down with his other hand.

"Shit!" Lovino shouted again as Antonio straddled him, one hand holding him down and the other still clutching his own in a death grip, "Stop Antonio! Stop! Shit! Get off me!"

Lovino had never met a vampire, never even believed that they truly existed...but he just couldn't deny it anymore as one knelt over him with eyes that looked positively _starved_ and bright white fangs laced with the blood from his finger.

"No good Lovi. I won't be denied any longer and you just smell...so good." Antonio breathed and lowered his head towards him.

"Shit!"the Italian cried again and struggled to make his body move, to knee upwards into the man's groin but...his body seemed to have already fallen under the vampires spell, "Antonio..." he gasped out.

On the floor of the closed coffee shop Lovino Vargas stared up into the hauntingly beautiful red eyes of the vampire Antonio Carreido as the other brought his head down and caressed his neck with a brief kiss before sinking his fangs into the soft flesh.

Lovino let out a scream and his thoughts raced with images of what might happen to him. Dead behind the counter? Dropped, drained of all blood, in an alley somewhere? Become a bloodsucking monster himself? Would Antonio rape him as well as kill him? Did that really matter if he was going to be dead anyways? What would happen to Feliciano? Without Lovino to pay for the apartment and other necessities...he wouldn't be able to make rent or feed himself! NO!

He struggled to make himself speak before he slipped into blissful unconsciousness.

"Feliciano...I'm sorry."

(Authors note: This is kinda a parallel dimension so a lot of the songs that you know from popular artists will be being written and performed by the characters in here. Though this is not a songfic...music is very important and key to a majority of the characters ie: All the members of Blood Moon Rising, Ludwig, Roderich, Alfred, and even Lovino though he'll never admit it ;D)

(Music Note: _Constant Craving_ KD Lang/Ben Mink or their's a Glee version too...that's the one I listen to ;D)


	4. Chapter 3

They had forgotten the first lesson, that we are to be powerful, beautiful, and without regret.

**Armand-Interview with A Vampire**

~*L*~

The voices around him had slowly been growing stronger to the point that his foggy consciousness was able to pick them up and form their previously garbled nonsense into words...and eventually sentences. From what he could tell there were four different people that came and went but one was always constant and it was that voice that made him keep his eyes tight shut..._Antonio._

The last thing Lovino wanted was to wake up and see the Spanish man nearby. It was true that because Antonio was there and he could hear his voice perfectly it meant that he was alive...and that meant that he hadn't abandoned Feli, but...if he was still alive...what had he become?

The girl's voice spoke again.

"Really Toni you should get _some_ rest...you haven't slept all night and it's nearly noon. Must I remind you what happened the last time you took blood and didn't sleep for over 24 hours?"

"I basically went into a coma for days." Antonio's voice spoke softly.

"Do you want to go through that again? Now that you've got a song, the other members are anxious to make any necessary changes to the music." The girl's voice reprimanded.

"The music is fine. I matched the lyrics to it without issue."

"Oh really?" the girl's voice eluded that she was smirking, "I recall catching several places that could have used tweaking, while I was recording you."

There was a very long moment of silence in which Lovino considered what he had heard.

_Antonio didn't sleep at all last night? What exactly did that mean? Was he up taking advantage of me while I was unconscious? Fucking bastard I'll kill him! How do you kill a vampire? A wooden stake through the heart just seems too elaborate...convenient...but elaborate..._

"Bells..." Antonio's voice was barely a whisper but it was enough to snap Lovino back to the conversation, "I can't leave him...not after...not after what I did...I can't...oh gods...what have I done Bells...?"

There was another long silence before Lovino heard soft hushing noises.

"Toni it wasn't your fault. I knew you were unstable last night. And I knew that you had been satisfying your craving slightly...somehow...especially after you sang that song...I should have put those things together and realized where you might go when you left the studio...It's my fault more than yours. Shhh...tears don't become you.

_Tears? Antonio was fucking crying? _

There was a slight choking and then Antonio's voice came back even softer.

"Bells...I have to explain...I have to tell him...I have to be here when he wakes up. I am exhausted...but this is the right thing to do."

There was the sound of receding footsteps and a door opening.

"Antonio...did you consider that after what you did...waking up to you might be the last thing he wants."

The door closed again with a soft click.

_The girl's smart. That is the last thing I want but...it's also...what I want most...damnit why?_

"Lovi?"

Lovino kept his eyes shut in a peaceful expression and the..._ugh I passed out with a smile on my face? Damn vampire charm...powers...whatever the fuck that was that made me unable to move!_

"Lovi I know you're awake."

He tried to keep his breathing level and his hands from clenching.

"Lovino we have to talk."

_Like hell bastard. I have nothing to say to you..._

"Lovino Vargas open your eyes and look at me." Antonio's soft whisper had grown stronger and a bit more determined, "I could easily make you, you know."

"I'd like to see you try." Lovino grumbled and opened his eyes searching for the owner of the voice.

Antonio was sitting at a close distance in what appeared to be..._a burgundy velvet armchair?_

Lovino's eyes widened and then flicked around the entire room.

_A canopy bed...fine lace curtains...a desk, and wardrobe, and ches of drawers...lots of paintings...an enormous mirror..._

"Where the fuck am I? Everything's so damn pristine and expensive!"

Antonio smiled slightly.

"This is the best guestroom. I was going to put you in my room but...Francis was appalled at the idea of someone outside of the flock seeing it." He chuckled slightly and ran a hand uneasily through his hair, "I suppose I _should_ clean up at some point."

Lovino just stared at him for a few moments.

"Hang on...guestroom?..._your_ room?" His eyes widened, "I'm in your fucking house?"

"It's actually more of a mansion..." Antonio laughed and then saw the boy's expression, "Sorry Lovi I had to bring you somewhere after I regained control...you were unconscious and...we needed to get you some first aid for your neck and Nathanial bandaged your finger at that time too...and then I forged a letter to your brother and to both of your work places and had Bella deliver them and..." he stopped and stared at Lovino again who had gone positively rigid with fury.

The Italian took a deep breath and his voice came out in what could not really be described but bordered on a hiss.

"You grow fangs...suck my finger...straddle me...bite me...kidnap me...bring me to your house...let one of your kind attend to my _wounds_...forge my signature...send someone to my apartment..."

Antonio looked at him with utter growing dread.

"Lovi I..."

The younger man put up one finger.

"You probably also had your way with me while I was fucking unconscious."

Antonio's eyes grew wide and it was his turn to clench his fists in fury.

"I may be many things Lovino Vargas...everything you said is true except..." he stared directly into the Italian's burning eyes with equal fire, "I am _not_ a rapist. Even in my blood lust state."

The way that the man said it made Lovino painfully regret his words but hell if he was going to let the bastard know that.

"Fine then...one thing I can't condemn you for."

Antonio relaxed slightly and looked down at the floor.

"I just have one question." Lovino continued.

Antonio kept his eyes fixed on the floor,

"Yes?"

"Where can I find a fucking wooden stake."

Antonio smiled slightly.

"Tall tale Lovi. While they hurt like hell...believe me...only another vampire or a werewolf could kill me."

Lovino folded his arms and groaned.

"Just fucking perfect."

Antonio smiled sadly.

"What I did Lovi...you have to know that I never meant to...not without revealing what I was before hand."

Lovino sighed and felt the linen bandage around his neck.

"Yeah well it's done and now...I'm fucking one of you...oh joy." He folded his arms and stared up into the canopy.

Antonio raised his head in surprise.

"What? You're one of us? Who's us?"

Lovino lowered his gaze back to the confused face..._could the bastard really be that dense?_

"A fucking vampire, moron."

Antonio's eyes widened.

"You're not a vampire."

"But you bit me..." Lovino began to explain but was cut off by a burst of laughter from Antonio.

"Lovi really, you _have_ to stop believing everything you read and watch about vampires."

Lovino glared at him.

"What are you implying?"

Antonio looked deep into his _gorgeous_ eyes.

"I bit you yes...that's true...you have the mark and the memory to prove it...and I have the guilt" he clenched his fist again in what Lovino wondered was..._self loathing?_

"But..." Antonio continued, "I did not inject you."

Lovino blinked at him.

"Huh?"

Antonio ran his hands together fretfully as he elaborated.

"To become a vampire the one biting you has to inject a special toxin into your blood." He turned to look at the boy, "It's kinda the way a spider bite works...or a stinger."

Lovino rubbed his head in annoyance.

"_Okay, _so that's another thing I can't condemn you for and..." he stopped and stared in realization at Antonio, "Does that mean I can leave here?...Or have you really kidnapped me?"

Antonio sighed and shook his head.

"As soon as you feel up to it you're free to go but..." he stared into Lovino's eyes with such sorrowful pleading that the boy found his heart wrenching, "I wish you would stay."

Lovino simply stared back dumbfounded for several minutes.

_Stay? With Antonio? But...why? Was the bastard gay? No forget that! He had to get back to Feli. Whatever Antonio had written on that note might keep his younger brother satisfied for awhile but if he didn't come back for days...and how would the younger Italian survive without him...without the money he made?...that was impossible._

"No." He said at last, firmly and...he could tell by Antonio's expression...shattering, "I have to go home. I can't stay here...no...I fucking _won't _stay here."

With that he got out of the bed and began the...slightly more difficult than he thought...search for his shoes, jacket, and...fucking balance! His legs felt like bendy goo and his head was roiling.

"Lovi!" Antonio shouted, running to the unstable boy as he pitched dangerously forward, "You're not fully recovered yet. You've been unconscious for 12 hours and besides that I took a lot of blood so you're seriously lacking and..."

Lovino shoved him away forcefully while willing his stomach to retain the meager tomatoes and water he had taken yesterday.

"Stay the hell away from me bastard. I don't want your help. I don't _need_ your help."

The boy struggled to the door after locating his things and leaned against the frame heavily.

"And I don't want to see you anywhere else bastard. I mean it."

Antonio was close to losing control of his body and emotions but he restrained himself and remained by the bed while Lovino walked out of the room and out of his life...for good.

As the door shut behind the boy, Antonio at last let go and collapsed to the floor burying his head in his hands. How had he let it go this far? How had he become attached so quickly? If he was in this much pain at being told to never see Lovino again...did it mean that he had fallen for more than just the blood scent?

"Lovi..." he whispered as the floor came rushing up to meet his spent body, "but I need you."

~*A*~

"What's eating you?" Gilbert grinned, "After creating such awesome lyrics you should be ecstatic to try them out with the awesome me...and those other two."

"Watch it." Arthur growled, briefly turning his attention from his shiny new guitar, "We _other two_ are your guitar and keyboardist. Without us you would be vocals and a whole lot of banging."

Gilbert twirled a drumstick and smirked.

"This banging is what gives you all a beat, and you know you love it."

Arthur scowled and turned back to tuning.

Francis smiled at his fellow musicians before turning his attention onto the problem at hand...Antonio.

"Gil is right mon ami, you appear more melancholy and distracted than at yesterday's rehearsal. What is the matter?"

Antonio sighed and stared at the others.

"I'm sorry it's just...I did something last night and..." he couldn't finish and put his head in his hands.

The others looked at him curiously and concerned.

"What exactly did you do?" Arthur asked, wondering with slight embarrassment if it was the same thing he had done.

Antonio didn't look at any of them as he answered.

"I bit someone."

Francis blinked.

"That is what we do..."

"No..." Antonio sighed, "He was...he was important to me."

Gilbert blinked and then whistled.

"You've been having a relationship with a guy?"

"Your one to talk." Arthur smirked, "Or have you not been sneaking away from your pack to meet a loner in the woods...what's his name again?...Matthew?"

Gilbert whirled on the Brit in surprise and fury.

"How the hell do you know about Mattie? My own pack doesn't even know!"

Arthur sighed and waved a hand lazily.

"Scrying glass, I get bored sometimes and decide to look in on other people's lives. Now sit boy before you hurt yourself."

Gilbert grumbled and settled back onto the couch.

"I'm not a dog...frickin stalker."

Francis was still staring intently at Antonio. Out of all the other members he was the only one that could truly understand the issue at hand. Taking blood was no easy matter. Lose complete control and you could drain the victim dead. Of course...that generally was only a worry if they had your blood type. The general rule was, drink, sleep spell, memory spell, leave them in a secluded area where they would probably awaken within a few hours with no recollection of what happened or how they got there. Sure they would wonder about the marks on their neck and why they were light headed but...that was their problem. So if Antonio was worried about having bitten this guy...

"Toni...what exactly happened?"

Antonio looked at Francis and forced himself to speak.

"He wants nothing to do with me now. He told me to stay away but..."

"He has your blood type?" Francis questioned softly.

Antonio nodded.

"Were you involved?"

Antonio shook his head.

"We were friends, though..." he smiled slightly, "He denied that vehemently."

Francis smiled knowingly.

"You want to be involved though?"

Antonio pulled at his hair.

"I don't know...I can't discern if I do...or if it's just the blood lust."

Francis sighed and placed a hand on his friends shoulder.

"Toni, you have two options. Either you go on with your life and try to forget him or...you ignore his demands."

Antonio sighed.

"I wish I could but...the way that he said it...it seemed...more hurt and betrayed than angry."

Francis nodded and let his eyes flick to Arthur just briefly before he closed them.

"I've been there my friend. It really strikes one to the core."

Antonio blinked at him, wondering for probably the first time in their long friendship just what the Frenchman had dealt with. Could he possibly have experienced the exact same situation that Antonio now found himself in? And if so, which option had he chosen?

He looked quizzically at the man, but Francis seemed to have an uncanny ability to hide anything behind a mask of pleasant charm.

The room remained silent for several moments before Antonio stood up and headed over towards the recording room. He turned back to the others with his usual grin.

"Well do you want to hear me actually sing these awesome lyrics or not?"

~*L*~

When Lovino had first arrived home he had not been surprised to find Feliciano gone. It was a Friday after all which meant that his brother liked to spend time in the studio at his school, so that he could get extra art completed.

He had found it a bit strange to not find dishes, from a hasty breakfast, in the sink or dishwasher and...the younger Italian's café uniform was not in the dirty clothes hamper...nor was it in his bedroom. Both of those occurrences were clockwork Thursday night and Friday morning routines for Feliciano. The fact that he hadn't...made Lovino think something could be wrong with his airheaded fratelino.

But it wasn't until he picked up the morning paper, which he had gotten out of their mailbox...like he always had to...promptly to drop it uncaringly onto the table for his brother to pour over later in the evening, that he became fully alarmed.

The very front page read.

_Young adult male found dead in Adeltine park._

Lovino's hands began trembling. There was no cause for his uneasiness; people went missing or were found dead in nearby places. It had never affected him before but...it had never happened when...Feliciano wasn't around and...hadn't shown signs of _being_ around recently. He settled onto the couch and began to read the article with growing fear.

_A night guard on patrol in Adeltine park came across a body of a young man at exactly midnight. The body was lying face up beside a tree on the far eastern side of the park. He had been gruesomely destroyed by some sort of animal, perhaps a rabid dog. A knife was found lying nearby stained with blood. The victim has been identified as Steven Elden, age 21._

Lovino let out the breath he had been holding and buried his face into the paper in relief. The dead man wasn't his brother...thank god! However, it was a name he recognized. The guy was...er...had been...the boyfriend of one of Feliciano's classmates, Georgia Den. Both he and Georgia had come into his coffee shop a number of time...generally they were always arguing about something...her flirting with some other guy, or being accused of cheating even. They had always put Lovino into a foul mood by their bickering and...thank goodness...they never stayed in the shop after they received their orders.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes...once again...he had gotten off the important subject of finding Feliciano. He was about to put the paper down when something interesting caught his eye.

_The blood on the knife was at first believed to belong to the animal that had attacked Steven. However, a test of the evidence now reveals that it is in fact human blood, not belonging to the victim. _

Lovino blinked in curiosity. It appeared that Steven had gotten into another fight before this animal attack or maybe...it hadn't been an animal after all. No...judging from the gruesome details he could just make out on the picture...he had definitely been killed by an animal. So then...who had Steven attacked?

A loud rapping on the door made Lovino jump and whirl around._ Could Feli have forgotten his keys? I wouldn't put it past him._

More rapping made Lovino grumble and march to the door.

"I'm coming. Just wait bastard."

He flung open the door ready to chastise his brother but was stopped by the official police uniforms and a detective badge that was flashed at him.

"I'm sorry to disturb you sir." The detective smiled, "But we're investigating a case and would like to speak with you, or your brother, depending on what your name is."

"Lovino." He gritted his teeth, "I'm Lovino Vargas."

"Ah." The detective sighed, "It is your brother then. Is he at home?"

"No he's not." Lovino said, feeling his stomach clench and churn.

"How long has he been away and when do you expect him back?" the detective continued.

Lovino though briefly about how best to answer and then decided that the full truth was best.

"He generally goes to the school art studio on Fridays till around 6 or so when he comes home for dinner."

"Generally?"

Lovino flinched and felt himself flush slightly.

"I don't know where he is today because I was gone all night and this morning so I don't even know when he left."

"Or if he was home last night at all?" the detective asked searchingly.

Lovino looked at him in shock. _Can the bastard read thoughts?_ Lovino sucked in a breath.

"I take it you know something or have suspicions. So why don't you come in and tell me huh?"

The detective nodded and came in with the police officer accompanying him. Lovino showed them into the living room and settled down into a chair across from them.

"Well then. As you said Mr. Vargas I do have some suspicions. Your brother is gone at the moment and while you say that is generally common for a Friday, you don't know if it is common for this Friday because you were gone last night and this morning, so you do not know if your brother even came home last night or not?

Lovino simply nodded.

The detective nodded as well and his eyes fell onto the paper discarded on the table.

"And I see you have read the paper and are therefore familiar with last night's events? You are therefore aware that the blood on the knife belonged to another person?"

Again Lovino simply nodded.

"Well here we come to it," the detective paused and looked meaningfully into Lovino's face, "We believe it was your brother's blood."

Lovino gazed back at him unsure if he had heard him correctly.

"I'm sorry...what?" he gasped.

The detective sighed.

"We got into contact with the victims girlfriend and she told us that she might have told him something last night around 10:30 that made him really upset. She told us that he left in a great huff, after calling her several names."

Lovino just continued to stare at the detective waiting for him to clarify.

"Well, judging by what she told him, we have reason to believe that she was not the only one that he was upset with. We have strong evidence that your brother might have been in danger."

Lovino snapped at that.

"What the hell did the bitch say?"

The detective showed great skill and practice in not flinching at the young man's language.

"I am not at liberty to repeat what she said, however, I can tell you that she used your brother's name and it was shortly after she did that Steven Elden left. Now Mr. Vargas if we could ask you a few questions about your brother yesterday?"

Lovino nodded gripping the arms of his chair.

"Right then. Do you know where he should have been between 10:30 and midnight?"

Lovino took a breath.

"He works at Paltelinos Italian Café on Thursdays from 5 in the evening until 10, sometimes 10:30 or even 11 if he is closing...which he was last night."

The detective nodded and scribbled into a little booklet.

"Thank you. And does he generally come back home by way of Adeltine park?"

Lovino gasped in shock. He hadn't even considered that fact when first reading the article but it was true...Paltelinos was not far from the east side of the park and Feliciano had told him once before that he enjoyed walking through the park on his way home because the air was so nice and the quiet was refreshing...plus he loved to...as he put it...be one with nature.

"Yes." Lovino breathed at last, "He told me that he loves coming home by way of the park."

The detective nodded and scribbled more into his booklet.

"I think that is all I need at the moment then."

He stood up and waited for Lovino to do the same.

The young Italian stood shakily and took the hand he was offered.

The detective looked at him sympathetically.

"We have located no other body yet, so we do still have hope but...judging by all the information we have collected...your brother may have been a victim of last night as well. We saw no signs of a body being dragged off through the grass however. In fact, this attack still has us rather baffled. All signs indicate that a wolf, or more likely several wolves, killed Elden. Yet none of the locals that live around the park said that they heard a single howl or scream."

The detective scratched his head.

"Honestly, the case is strange. Supernatural you could almost say." He chuckled in slight amusement and then sighed again. "I'm sorry son. I hope very much that your brother comes home tonight safe and sound."

Lovino nodded, trying desperately to swallow the lump in his throat and the tears in his eyes.

The detective and officer left with sad nods and Lovino found himself unable to hold back any longer. He collapsed to his knees and slammed his palms down on the floor letting the tears pour.

"Damn! FELI!"


	5. Chapter 4

Y: Drink my blood Zero...To stop your thirst, even if it's only temporary...

Z: ...Stop this...I can't...Forgive myself...

Y: I know but I've given it a lot of thought...Sorry...Let us...Do something unforgivable...

~_**Vampire Knight**_

~*A*~

Antonio lay curled up on the floor of his bedroom surrounded by the vast amount of blood he had coughed up just moments before. It had been two weeks since he had taken from Lovino and for the first week afterwards he had refused to take any blood at all from Bella. But after he had gotten over the initial shock and remorse at losing Lovino, he had finally relented to his body's craving and gone to Bella. That first time when he had drunken his fill only to vomit the entirety of it later on in the shower, he had just assumed was because his starved body had been unprepared for it and perhaps he had taken more than he could handle at the moment. The second time however, he began to worry that something was seriously wrong and now...he feared the worst. There was a strange phenomenon that sometimes happened when a vampire discovered someone with their blood type that...they might also be _physically _attracted to. A reaction was created in their body making it repulsed...some said even allergic to...any other blood they tried to take.

A knock on the door made him open his eyes and groan out feebly.

"Who?"

No reply came except for the door being flung open. A very sharp eyed and concerned Bella stood in the doorway and surveyed the mess before her.

"Oh Toni! I heard you coughing but this...I never expected this."

Antonio struggled to sit up and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.

"This isn't what it looks like."

Bella folded her arms and stared at him in contempt.

"Oh no...because it looks like you couldn't keep down all of that lovely blood you took from me just moments before."

Antonio grimaced and hung his head.

"Then it is what you think."

Bella sighed and came over to help him up, catching some of his weight as he teetered unsteadily. She lead him over to the bed and made him sit and rest, while she rushed to the bathroom for a damp cloth to clean him and the floor.

When she returned and began her task, she took the opportunity to study him closely. His skin was ashen and looked stretched...feeble and starved...just like the rest of him. His deep sparkling green eyes were considerably dull and his hair had lost its usual luster. The young vampire looked sick...but their kind couldn't get sick unless...

She stopped and cupped Antonio's chin in one hand forcing his head up to look at her.

"Toni answer me truthfully. This isn't the first time you haven't been able to keep my blood down is it?"

Antonio tried to break away from her grip but his weakened body couldn't compete with the strong female vampire. At last he settled for dropping his eyes.

"No its not."

Bella sucked in a breath.

"Both times before?"

He nodded and she dropped his face as she stepped back in horror.

"Oh Toni why? How? I thought you said that you weren't attached to the boy in that way?"

"I'm not." Antonio groaned and rubbed his temples, "At least...I didn't think I was but..."

"Your body seems to think differently." Bella finished his thought with a sigh and went back to cleaning the blood from his clothes and skin.

At last she dropped the cloth and settled onto the bed beside him, placing a hand on his knee. While they were no longer together in that sense, she still felt a strong attachment to him and couldn't stand to see him upset or hurt or...in this case...wasting away.

"You know what you have to do now."

Antonio sucked in a breath between clenched teeth and shook his head emphatically.

"I can't Bells...I just can't."

"Antonio, you have no choice. You either kill him or make him one of us. Problem gone the first way, and problem controlled the second...and better...way."

She cupped his face in both hands now and stared directly into his eyes.

"I will not lose you because of this boy Antonio. I will not."

"I'm not dying Bells. We can't die remember? Only be killed."

Bella shook her head ferociously.

"You'll waste away Antonio. You'll become a frail statue to be broken at the lightest touch from any of us. Don't you get it? You essentially will be killed...even if by accident."

Antonio managed to actually break free of her grip and get unsteadily to his feet.

"I don't care Bells. I can't turn Lovi into a vampire...not against his wishes and..." he swallowed feeling tears threatening to break his weakened eyes, "I definitely can't kill him."

Bella waited on the bed for a few moments while she considered how best to convince him when another thought entered her mind. It was crazy and completely taboo, not forbidden exactly but...frowned upon...absolutely frowned upon.

"A donor." She whispered, barely audible, and silently hoping that he wouldn't hear her.

Antonio stopped short and turned back to her in horror.

"No Bells...that's forbidden!"

She stood calmly and stared back nervously.

"Not forbidden...simply frowned upon."

"Deeply frowned upon." Antonio whispered, "It hasn't been done in a century...perhaps longer. The last vampire to try it...he was..."

"Turned in by the woman and..."

"They ran several stakes through his heart before they realized that it didn't work." Antonio whispered, shuddering from the horror.

"He was so torn up that he went to a friend and begged to be killed." Bella finished the story and wrung her hands, "You are not your father Toni. You would never betray this boy the way your father betrayed your mother. You would never do anything to make him that upset...that he would betray your secret."

Antonio ran his hands through his hair in agitation and slight fear.

"I know that Bells but still...a donor?"

Bella rested a hand on his shoulder gently.

"You said yourself that the other options were out of the question. What other choice do you have?"

Antonio looked up at the ceiling and then back at her before he gritted his teeth and gently removed her hand pulling her in front of him and pushing her to the door. As she stepped out into the hallway he whispered through the crack in the closing door.

"Death Bella. That is my choice."

~*L*~

Lovino slammed his keys down onto the table and slumped into the couch. Another day had gone by with people whispering and pointing at him or outwardly coming up and telling them how sorry for him they were. How tragic it was to lose your twin brother at such a young age. Only 19 and forced by upsetting circumstances to be an only child for the time. He was absolutely sick of it.

He stripped his coat off in a huff and tossed it onto the floor where a small mound of coats and other clothing had begun to collect. He was sick of the sympathy and teary false best wishes. It wasn't like his brother had even been announced dead. He was still simply missing...an unsolved part of the Steven Elden case. But everyone had taken that as meaning that Elden had killed him and the police just wouldn't confirm it until they found the body...or what remained of it. He gritted his teeth and swallowed back the bile that threatened to escape at that sickening thought. He couldn't let his mind go there. Until he was given proof, he had to believe that Feliciano was alive...somewhere. But slowly...as the days passed...his hope was beginning to fade.

He gave a defeated sigh and rose tiredly to his feet, ready to collapse exhausted onto his beckoning bed in the back room, when a loud rapping came on the front door.

Who on earth would be disturbing him at this time of night. It was half to midnight and not even the blasted detective disturbed him past ten. After the second meeting with the infuriating man, Lovino had discovered that the answers he gave to the questions were being put into newspaper articles under _reliable source_. While he was glad that his identity wasn't being revealed fully, he was still enraged that his brother's disappearance was just being treated like any other piece of _exciting _news that happened in the small city. It was sickening, and he had blatantly avoided the detective after the first few times.

The rapping came again, more insistent and furious than before.

He growled and struggled over to the door, mustering up as much bite as he could manage, in order to give the caller a firm piece of his mind.

He flung the door open and glared furiously at...

"You!"

The female vampire stared back at him levelly.

"Me." She said looking him up and down, "And by the way that's quite a rude way of greeting a guest."

"You're not a guest." Lovino growled and tried to shut the door, "Go the hell away and don't come here again."

"Oh I don't think so." Bella lodged a foot firmly in the closing door and then used all her weight to force her way in, "You will let me in Lovino Vargas, whether you like it or not."

Lovino stepped back and glared at her in shock and utter rage.

"How dare you! I could call the police on you!"

"Why don't you. Maybe they'll bring the detective with them...I'm sure he'd love to talk with his _reliable source _again." She smirked, which made Lovino angrier still.

"Shut the fuck up hoar! I told you to get the hell out of my house!"

"And I told you I'm not leaving." Bella shot back and slammed the door closed to emphasize her decision.

"Bitch." Lovino growled and whirled away from her, "Why the hell are you here anyways? Did that bastard send you? I'm not changing my mind if that's what he's after. I don't want anything more to do with him."

Bella sighed and came over to whirl back around and face her.

"You listen to me you small Italian..." she searched frantically for a good insult, "Brat."

Lovino gaped at her in slight scorn.

"Brat? That's the best you could come up with blood sucking hoar?"

Bella completely lost it and slapped him across the face.

Lovino reeled and turned back to her with wide eyes. Never...NEVER...had he been slapped before. The stinging left on his skin was enough to make his eyes water simply from the movement and complete shock of the experience.

Bella glared at him menacingly.

"Don't ever call me that again." She hissed, "Now shut up and listen carefully to what I tell you."

Lovino caught her eyes and what he saw was enough to make any biting retort he could come up with disappear instantly from mind and mouth. This was not the same friendly and cheerful vampire girl that had greeted him and tried to force feed a funnel cake when he left Antonio's mansion two weeks ago. This...was a dangerous young woman to be reckoned with.

Bella sighed and smiled slightly, but her eyes lost none of their fury.

"Much better. Now then, to answer your previous questions...I am here because of Antonio...no he doesn't know that I am here and he probably would have tried to stop me if he suspected this is where I was headed. I frankly don't care what you told him earlier, the fact is..." she stopped and instantly all the rage drained from her as she hung his head, "Antonio is wasting away. His body reacted to your blood and now...he can't drink any other blood."

Lovino gaped at her.

"The hell? What do you mean 'his body reacted to my blood'?"

"I mean that Antonio is experiencing a strange phenomenon where his body will not accept any other blood because it has found its perfect blood type." She fudged the whole truth slightly, not wanting to alarm the boy with the fact that Antonio was probably physically attracted to him and desired more than just his blood.

Lovino stared at her in confusion while he tried to reason out what she was telling him.

"Hang on...are you saying that the bastard is essentially dying because he can't take blood anymore?"

Bella looked at him with hope.

"Does that change your mind?"

Lovino growled and folded his arms.

"Like hell it does. I don't care what happens to him. Why should I? Let him starve and die. One less of you monsters around."

Bella slapped him again, all of her earlier fury back again.

"How dare you!" she screamed right in his face, "Toni is kind and caring and while he is not my mate and I feel nothing romantic I still love him! He took me in when I had just been turned and he cared for like an older brother. You barely knew him for a few weeks before you started making assumptions and just because he lost control that one night you have the _audacity _to label him a monster. I could fucking kill you for your cheek!"

Lovino gaped at her once more his eyes completely huge. He felt guilty and confused. His stomach had twisted uncomfortably when she had first told him that Antonio was essentially dying and he didn't like to think why. His reaction had been as much to convince himself as to stop her. Now however her fury had brought out the worst in him. The initial shock of being slapped and then slapped again had worn away and left behind an urgent need to fight back.

He backhanded her across the face as well.

"You think you can just come in here and tell me that my whole way of thinking is wrong? You say I don't know him! Yeah you're right I don't and at the moment I don't have the time or the emotion to care to get to know him! You don't know what I'm fucking going through right now! My brother is...my brother is..."

He broke down and collapsed against her shoulder sobbing angry tears.

"My brother is probably fucking dead somewhere and there's nothing I can do about it."

Bella stared down at the broken young man and tentatively brushed a hand across his hair.

"You're right. I can't imagine what it's like to actually lose the only family you have left. To not know what's happened to them but...I think we can help. Lovino..." she stepped back and gently pushed him away from her and took his chin in her hand like she had done with Antonio earlier, forcing his angry tear filled eyes to look into her own.

"There is a bond that is formed between a vampire and donor..."

"I don't want to hear about it..." Lovino moaned, "Let me go."

"No, you will hear about it." Bella said, growing slightly calmer, "The bond is a strong one and it essentially binds them together. Consider it marriage like in that vows are made."

Lovino felt sick and gagged.

"That's just disgusting."

Bella smirked.

"I said it's like a marriage not that it is a marriage. Now this is the part that I think will make you change your mind."

"Doubt it." Lovino muttered breaking away from her grip at last, "But try me."

Bella smiled. He was curious, she could easily tell that though he was trying desperately to hide the fact.

"The donor promises to stay around, usually living in the same house or in our case mansion and will not complain any time when the vampire wants blood."

Lovino snorted.

"I definitely can't promise that. If you tell me I'm supposed to be this submissive little blood bank that meekly allows himself to be bitten at any wim then I say Fuck You."

Bella actually laughed slightly.

"Well you can discuss that with Antonio then, but let me tell you the other part of the bond...the vampire's vow."

Lovino was genuinely curious now.

"Tell."

Bella nodded.

"The vampire's vow is to protect and care for their donor at all costs and...to do anything the donor asks of them or tells them to do...if it is within their power of course."

Lovino's eyes widened.

"Are you implying that...?"

"The police and detectives haven't made any progress in finding out what happened to your brother have they?"

Lovino gritted his teeth and shook his head.

"I think the bastard's frankly don't care. All they seem to enjoy is interrogating me and putting my words in the paper constantly."

Bella grimaced but then smiled and looked at the ceiling.

"If you became Antonio's donor he would stop at nothing to locate your brother or uncover the truth of what happened to him." _Even you didn't become his donor he probably still would simply for the possibility of making you happy and getting to spend time with you. _She kept those thoughts to herself...better not to put that idea in his head and lose Antonio's only hope for surviving.

Lovino took in a deep breath and turned away from her to think.

_If I did what she said and became his donor then the bastard would have no choice but to investigate into Feli's case. And if something supernatural is involved, as I strongly suspect it is, then he'll have a considerably better chance at uncovering it than a normal detective and police officers will. On the other hand...I'll have to become a source of food and sustenance...and who knows what else...for a vampire._

He shuddered and rubbed his neck remembering the pain and other strange sensations that he had experienced when Antonio had bitten him. In the end however the pros far outweighed the cons in his head.

He reached down to grab his coat from the floor before turning back to Bella, who looked at him nervously and hopefully.

"Let's go before I talk some fucking sense into myself."

~*A*~

Somebody was tapping on his cheek. Without even having to open his eyes he could tell that it wasn't one of the flock..the hand felt to warm to belong to a vampire. Also the only person he was certain that would ever dare disturb him, when he had expressly stated that he wanted to be left alone, was Bella...and this hand had no sharp ring on it like hers did. He groaned and unconsciously swung his arm up to try and brush the hand away.

"Oi...oi, wake up bastard."

He groaned. It was impossible. The voice...it sounded so much like Lovi's. But that was impossible...impossible...

"Oi! Open your eyes and look at me fucking bastard! I hate being blatantly ignored like this!"

"Lovi?"

Antonio struggled to keep his eyes closed terrified that when he opened them he would be alone and the voice and touch had been a dream created by his starved body and mind. But he couldn't long deny his curiosity. If it really was a dream...better to find out sooner than to let the feverish idea continue unchecked.

He blinked his eyes open and there...standing right beside the bed and looking at him with great annoyance was...

"Lovi!" He gasped again and sat bolt upright staring directly at the young Italian, "But...but...I thought..."

Lovino smirked slightly.

"Thought you could just waste away and not have to deal with what you did?"

Antonio shook his head and bit his lip.

"No Lovi of course not. I can't...I can't ever forget what I did...I tried...I apologized but you..."

"Yeah well I was letting my stupid survival instincts get the better of me. So I ran rather than hear you out but...I've given it some thought and..."

He stopped and took a deep breath, cursing himself for having to appear so easily forgiving and accepting.

"I want to be your donor." He snapped and whirled away, "But only because I need your help...I hate to admit that but...I need your promise that you'll find my brother."

Antonio blinked wide eyes and then his expression turned darker.

"Bella went to you didn't she?"

Lovino whirled back around to face him.

"What if she did this is ultimately my decision. I don't like it but it's the only way. I won't become a vampire if that's what you were hoping for instead."

Antonio shook his head.

"I wasn't hoping for that either but...did she tell you what this means."

"It means you have to do what I say in exchange for my blood. A fare trade if I make you have to do horrible things or in this case..."

He turned back to Antonio with a defeated sigh.

"Yes Bella told me that what we're about to do is considered dangerous and is greatly frowned upon but..." he hung his head, "My brother means everything to me and besides..." his eyes turned sharp and annoyed, "I will not have that vampire bitch constantly terrorizing me for letting you waste away to a vegetative state."

Antonio found himself unable to stop the laughter that escaped at that but he instantly turned serious again.

"You're sure? This is what you want?"

"It's what I want. So long as you don't fucking try to rape me." Lovino growled.

Antonio shook his head and touched the young man's cheek.

"Never Lovi." He leaned forward abruptly and kissed the startled Italian.

"What the hell?" Lovino shouted snapping away.

Antonio laughed in embaressment.

"Ah sorry Lovi...I missed."

Lovino was about to angrily curse at 'what the hell he had missed' and 'how stupid do you think I am?' when he noticed Antonio looking meaningfully at his neck with eyes that had slipped to a dangerous red.

"Ah..." he murmured in realization, still fuming at how someone could 'miss your neck and end up kissing your lips instead' but at the moment he didn't want to push it.

"Fine bastard. Drink what you want for now, but don't forget your side of the bargain."

Antonio simply nodded as he leaned forward and sunk his teeth into the young Italian's soft flesh. He hadn't missed of course. He had known fully what he was doing and he regretted nothing. Lovino's lips had been soft and warm and they tasted just like his blood, of tomatoes and slight flavorful spice. But he would not lose the boy because of that foolish slip. And he would do everything he could...and more...to find the Lovino's brother. Even if it lead him into the welcoming arms of death. Because he loved the beautiful, volatile, foul mouthed, Italian...he finally accepted that truth.


	6. Part 2 Op

**Part 2: Waxing Crescent**

**Moon After Day**

Moon shed a tear  
>Moon give me fear<br>Moon light my way  
>Moon after day<p>

Moon give me strength  
>Moon has no length<br>What I want to say,  
>Is Moon after day<p>

Moon is full  
>Moon is dull<br>Moon light my way  
>Moon after day<p>

Moon is my life  
>Moon gave me a knife<br>Moon slit my wrist  
>Moon a wonderful bliss<p>

What I want to say  
>Moon after day!<p> 


	7. Chapter 5

I came here to be at one with nature, well I got what I wanted. Now I have to live with it.

_Megan, Dog Soldiers_

~*F*~

Pain. Pain like he had never experienced before. Even the harsh plunge of the knife had been different. A different pain...different...because it had been simply _one _stab..._one _throb..._one _death blow. But this...this was entirely different. This was the sting and snap and agony of muscles stretching and twisting, bones snapping and reforming, while skin and newly acquired fur reshaped itself around this new form, this creature that should have been powerful and beautiful...instead of spent from the pain and bloody from his antics...the creature...the predator...the wolf.

The wolf struggled onto his legs transformation once more complete and began his usual routine. The goal...find a way out of the miniscule black stone room. He began the task he had been inhabiting before he had gone dormant. How long he had been that way he didn't know. He was aware that the wood shards had been removed from his gums and that some water must have been given but he could not remember how...nor did he care why at the moment. At the moment...all that mattered was escaping...running...free. He longed to feel soft earth beneath his paws and the dancing blades of grass tickle his heels. He wanted to experience lapping a cool drink from a laughing stream...a night breeze to ruffle his fur. The thrill of a hunt...sinking his teeth into warm meat...after the majority of the pack had fed. A pack...yes a pack. That was what he longed for most...a pack under the full moon. He wanted an established place in a pack. Right now he was alone...alone in a cold stiff room with only two scents...his...and..._a humans. _

He growled and began pacing; the human had been near him...touched him probably. Its scent clung to his skin and his fur protected it...kept it in place. In a wave of anger and panic that he had let it...that he had been too week and dormant to stop it...he bit at his shoulder. Instantly a small amount of blood filled his mouth and he let out a yelp pulling away from himself. He whined and began pacing. The room was driving him mad...driving him to hurt himself...no...the human was doing that...its scent...he wanted rid of its scent.

With a maddened howl he threw his weight into his abandoned task once more...the door. His paws slammed against it and raked downwards, making the long slices in it yet deeper and lodging chips of wood between his pads where they drew beads of blood. He slipped his paws back to the floor and applied his teeth instead...back to the spot where he had chewed at previously...previously...before he went dormant...dormant...

_Please go dormant. Stop hurting yourself...stop hurting me...us..._

The wolf whined and shook his head as if he could force the voice out. The other voice...the human voice. He abandoned the door and went towards the middle of the room still shaking his head, trying to force the voice out as he would an insect that had crept annoyingly into his ear. He whined again and collapsed to the floor swiping his front paws over his ears in further attempts to dislodge the voice.

_Dormant_ it whispered _Go dormant. Please_

He whined again and covered his face with his paws trembling and shaking. He was failing. He could feel that other presence, the one the voice belonged to, forcing him back...back...and down...down...dormant...yes dormant. His body collapsed in on itself breaking and shifting...reforming.

Feliciano lay in the center of the room once more. His hands were tangled in his hair, desperately clutching at his head the same as his paws had been moments before. He was curled in a ball as he always was after _changing_ as he had named it. His mouth was a bloody mess once more because _the wolf _had tried biting at the door again. It would do no good, he had seen the door open and measured its width...strong and sturdy..._the wolf_ would have to chew for a long time to even make a dent in it. But for once his mouth wasn't his biggest concern...his shoulder was on fire. The vicious bites inflicted by _the wolf_ had already begun to sting on his _human _skin. He wondered if there was something in the saliva...it was the same sensation...the same pain...that he had felt that first time. When the other wolf had bitten him...the one with the piercing blue eyes.

He shivered and curled farther in on himself as the memory drowned his weakened mind. The memory of his last night...as a full human.

~*~Flashback~*~

The night wind bit through his thin jacket relentlessly as he traveled the first few steps along the park path. He shivered and clutched the article of clothing tighter around his thin frame. For all the food he ate throughout the week he never seemed to gain any fat to help insulate his body from the frigid temperatures and teasing winds that seemed to favor his beloved little city. He laughed and watched the steam dance in the air before him as he thought about what his brother always said.

"_You're skin and bones Feli. Honestly, if I didn't know how much you love all types of noodles, and saw you eat them like it was your last meal, then I would think that you never ate anything."_

He laughed again and rubbed his hands together, blowing between his thumbs in an attempt to warm them. He really did love walking through the calm area that was the park at night, but it was cold business. He shivered yet again and rubbed at his arms. For some reason he got an eery feeling that something other than the temperature and wind was making him cold. He looked behind him nervously...nothing but the slightly dim lights that dotted the path. He shook his head in embarrassment at himself.

_You're being jumpy Feli. _He scolded himself inwardly, _The park is as normal and abandoned as always. _

He was still laughing nervously at himself when the figure stepped from behind a tree and grabbed him. He started to scream of course but the shadow clamped a large hand over his mouth before he could even get out the first shriek. In his fright, the bag containing his uniform slipped out of his fingers and spilled unceremoniously to the ground. He soon followed with his assailant straddling him. Now he could clearly see the man and was completely shocked. It was Steven Elden, the boyfriend of a girl in his figure drawing class, Georgia Den. Feliciano had gone to the movies with them before and his impression of Steven had been someone that is very strong and maybe a bit too possessive of his girlfriend. He had glared hatefully at Feliciano when the Italian had clung to Georgia out of fright from the horror movie. Feli supposed it was a natural enough reaction but Georgia had told him the next day with a sneer that Steven had forbidden her from having contact with the younger man outside of class. Georgia had told him that they got into arguments quite often but she had never mentioned that Steven got violent with these...but now...now pinned underneath the slightly older man with his hate filled bloodshot eyes staring down at him...Feliciano had to wonder if Georgia had just been afraid or embarrassed to reveal that part about him.

The man was breathing heavily and Feliciano was able to catch the vast amount of alcohol that laced his breath. His eyes watered and he gagged slightly from the stench as he struggled harder to get away...out from under the angry...and he now strongly suspected...overly drunk...man.

"Steven get off. Please. What are you doing?" he tried to shout but the man's hand kept his words muffled and incoherent.

Steven let out a hysterical laugh and looked down into the boy's frightened wild eyes with contempt.

"Rook a you." He slurred, "Gorgia things you're so great. She pwaises your art. Says you're hansome and sweet and not afaid to sweak your mind and heart. Hah." He half laughed and half choked. The amount of talking caused his breath to come in gasps on Feliciano's face and made the younger feel utterly sick and revolted from the amount of alcohol that it contained. He tried to struggle again but Steven gritted his teeth and cuffed him roughly across the face causing him to let out a pained gasp from the impact. His eyes went even wider from pure fright. Steven had turned really violent and he was only going to get worse. He watched the man's face break into a gleeful malicious grin as he reached into his pocket and brought out a knife.

Feliciano went even more pale and started struggling still more and shouting against the gag hold.

"No! NO!" he screamed and thrashed, "Let me go! I haven't done anything to Georgia! Let me Go!"

Steven only laughed.

"Nah we see your twu colors. You're nothing but a twapped wabbit. Your eyes are so wide. I can make them wider."

He stared intently at the knife as if seeing something else and hissed.

"Gorgia can't go to you if you're dead. Dead." He laughed slightly hysterically and flipped the knife into the air, barely catching it again, "Dead, dead...DEAD!"

He shouted the last part as he plunged the knife downwards.

The pain that exploded through Feliciano's stomach was almost unbearable. His eyes did go wide and he screamed so loudly into Steven's clamped hand that some of it actually escaped through the gaps in his fingers. But it the amount that escaped was not loud enough...not nearly loud enough. And soon enough it was choked off by the blood that suddenly invaded his throat. He coughed and gagged but still Steven did not move...nor did he remove the knife until...something came hurtling into him and slammed him away onto the damp lawn. The knife was dislodged roughly by the impact and Feliciano screamed again from the fresh slicing pain but no sound escaped through the blood that clogged his throat and mouth. He was dying...his vision going...but he was able to hear the voices...see through white spots and black fog the shapes of a wolf and two humans...then two faces were over him. They both looked anxious and the sharper one seemed particularly concerned.

"Roderich...can you do anything?"

Feliciano's world dimmed even more but the pure blue eyes that belonged to that sharp face still managed to be there...light in the dark. He felt something press softly against his stomach and screamed again against the blood choking him.

"It's up to you Ludwig." The other face with glasses covering its tired violet eyes shook its head.

The blue eyes closed briefly as they man they belonged to took a shuddering breath.

"I haven't turned anyone since Lili. Besides he didn't ask..."

"Damned if he didn't ask!" another angry voice shouted from...Feliciano had lost the ability to judge distance...but he could at least identify the voice as being female, unlike the other two, which were most definitely male.

"His other option is dying!" her voice shouted in complete anger, "I will have him die because of this..._monster_."

Feliciano couldn't turn his head but he just seemed to know that she was speaking about Steven. He wondered briefly what had happened to him...he had somehow become aware that a stronger scent of blood was drifting through the air...and it didn't belong to himself. His let out a gurgling cough and felt his lungs being invaded by blood as well. He couldn't breath...it was hard to keep his eyes open. Dying...he was dying. The deep blue wavered above him and he felt blood trickling from the side of his mouth.

"Ludwig do it now!" the other man's voice, probably shouted, but to Feliciano it sounded like barely a whisper.

"All right." The blue eyes took on a pained look and closed then...right before Feliciano's closing vision the face shifted till it was a wolfs. Beautiful and strong. His muzzle lowered towards Feliciano's neck and then seemed to think better of it and shifted to a different position. He felt a dull shock of fresh pain as the wolfs fangs sunk into his upper arm. He managed to let out another choked gasp before everything turned to blackness and the wolf...the gorgeous blond wolf...was gone.

~*~End Flashback~*~

Feliciano shuddered and clutched at his bare flesh curling still farther into himself as the memory always caused him to do. He whimpered and buried his face against the floor. The only good thing about the memory was the feel of the night breeze and those blue eyes. The door opened and he looked up, hopeful that this time it would be those perfect eyes and strong face that had come to comfort and clean him but it was just her...the woman with apple green eyes. She smiled down at him gently and touched one of his hands lightly. Then she noticed his shoulder and her eyes widened and she drew back with a sickened gasp.

"What have you done to yourself this time?"

He didn't answer. He couldn't. _The wolf _was the only one that could speak now...not him...the human. But the woman seemed to understand that. She produced a damp cloth from her apron pocket, along with a water bottle and chocolate bar, and proceeded to dab at his bleeding shoulder.

"You know..." she whispered softly as she unwrapped the candy bar and forced it into his trembling hands, "If you wouldn't resist your new other self then you would be able to control it better. You can't leave this room until you _do_ gain control of it...of yourself."

Feliciano took a hesitant bite of the chocolate as he considered her words. What she was suggesting was that _the wolf_ could be controlled, and that he was the one that would have to do it. But she had also said that the only way to _gain control_ over the creature...was to accept it as part of himself. And that...was something he just could not do. To accept the wolf would be to accept that he was no longer human...no longer normal. He feared those ideas. He feared what that would mean. Normal...no longer welcome...he would have to leave his home, school, life, Lovi...everything!...for good. No...that was something he could not accept...would not accept. He was not _the wolf_!

Instantly he began trembling and the woman jumped back.

"Oh pokol!"

Feliciano let out a scream as he began shifting again. His fear and anger at being told that he had to except the creature within him, had caused the very thing to awaken once more. The shift seemed quicker this time. All too soon he lost control and awareness. _The wolf, _had taken over once more and he was furious.

The woman had tried to escape before the final transformation but it had been quicker than she expected and she had foolishly tried to retrieve the cloth and fallen water bottle from the floor. As soon as the wolf was whole his auburn gold eyes bore into her with all hatred and fear that it possessed for the _human_. This human had touched him again while he was dormant, but no more...no more would he allow this human to touch him...he would rip her apart if he had to.

The woman ran for the door but the wolf was faster. Lashing out with a blood chilling howl and sharp claws. He caught her shoulder with several and she let out the only scream she could think of.

"Ments Meg Engem, Ludwig!"

The wolf was off its guard...so focused on the human that it was not prepared for any threat from one its own. But the blond wolf came. And with him came authority, fury, and respect. Canine muscle crashed into canine bones and the lither wolf was sent sprawling. He tried to right himself and face the new threat...the strange threat. True a fellow strange wolf was a threat but one usually gave ample warning before the attack. It nearly seemed like this wolf was protecting something...the human? No...that was not possible.

With an effort, he desperately tried to stand and discover where the threats were. But it was just the one threat now...the blond wolf with piercing blue eyes. _Those eyes_...he whined, trying desperately to shake the idea that he knew those eyes...had seen them once before, out of his head. But try as he might, that other presence within him seemed to have wakened...by those eyes.

_His eyes_

The wolf whined again and shook his head. He didn't really want to fight the larger blond wolf. But if he really had defended the human...then he was no longer wolf...he was dog.

His hackles rose and the growl came from his throat.

"_You defend human? Do you call yourself wolf? I will tear into you for losing what you are!"_

The blond stared back at him calmly...calculating...at last it spoke.

"_I do not call myself wolf. I am Ludwig. Young pup...I am your creator...your savior...your alpha. Do you dare still challenge me?"_

The young wolf was startled. He whined and bowed his head instantly.

_Alpha_ was a word he could not refuse. The Alpha was control. The Alpha was protection. The Alpha was kindness. The Alpha...was god.

The wolf whined more and settled to the floor putting his head between his paws and tucking his tail between his legs. He gazed up at his alpha with respect and shame and wagged his tail ever so slightly. But alpha's gaze did not change. If anything they grew harder as they looked him over and this time his voice echoed through the smaller creature's head.

_Go dormant._

The wolf whined and scratched at his head his thoughts racing furiously.

_But I don't want to go dormant. Dormant means no longer in control. The human touches me when I'm dormant. Dormant is...fear._ Yet that other presence within him was shouting with exhausted delight...pleading. _Yes dormant. Back to human. Back to me. The wolf gone...for now._

The alpha's voice shot sharply through his mind once more, with still more command than before.

_Boy, I'm speaking to you directly now. You will never have the control that you wish...never feel human again...unless you accept that you are a wolf as well. _

So many protests and pleadings came to both presences within the small wolf but they were hushed instantly by the first command once again.

_Go dormant...NOW!_

The wolf howled and began to shift. He was aware of it this time...aware of everything...the other presence was no longer strange and it had begun...melding with him. As the body snapped...rithed...shifted...Feliciano was both wolf and human...he understood. He accepted...that didn't mean that he had to like what he was...he knew that now. Perhaps he never would like what he had become...but the acceptance forced him to face _the wolf_ and establish the key needed principle. He was the one in control...Not the creature.

~*L*~

No longer was there a wolf in front of him but the same young man he had no choice but to bite that week ago. His hands and arms were trembling as he strove to support the weight of his spent body and beads of sweat dotted nearly every inch of his exposed skin. Which brought Ludwig to the next issue...the boy was relatively smaller than any other members of the pack apart from Lili...whatever were they going to dress him in. He sighed and shifted human so that he could stand fully above the young man who seemed to have elapsed into a series of choking and whimpering that were entirely pitiable. He sighed again and shouted over his shoulder.

"Gil, can you bring me two of my shirts and a pair of pants please?"

The clothes were delivered quicker than he expected but it was not by his silver white haired brother. His theta Roderich Edelstein wrapped a cloak around his shoulders and placed the other clothes in his arms.

"Gilbert appears to have disappeared again. Now if you would excuse me, I must go attend to Elizaveta."

"I..." a shaky, tear laced voice whispered from the floor, "Did I really hurt her that badly."

Roderich smiled slightly at the young man.

"No...she's recovered from that..." the tall wiry man pushed his glasses up his nose, "I just have her locked away in her room so she doesn't come and pummel you into dust. I would avoid her for the next few days for your safety."

Ludwig sighed and turned to the boy as well as the young one's shimmering auburn brown eyes looked up in complete bewilderment. His expression was almost enough to make Ludwig laugh and he did crack a slight smile as he tossed one of the shirts at him.

"Put that on for now. So you can walk to the restroom for a bath." He slipped his own shirt on over his muscular form and stepped into comfortable jeans. Now fully dressed he ran a hand through his disheveled hair to force it back into its usually orderly style.

The young man continued to stare with wide eyes but he slipped the clean cotton shirt over himself. It was...so fresh...so pristine...so _human_. At last he broke down into uncontrollable sobbing as he stood on shaky legs and took hesitant steps forward. His legs felt like lead...probably from all the running he had done as a wolf but they were...human as well now...and he was learning how to use them as such again.

Ludwig watched him carefully. He took great care and pride in his pack. And every accomplishment one of them made...even a small thing such as walking again for the first time in a week...made him smile and nod.

"It will take time." He said softly, "But soon you should be able to do the same things you could before your wolf self took over." He thought about it for a few moments and then decided that it wouldn't hurt to find out just how much the young man had already regained, "For instance...the main one...speech. And your name. Do you know your name?"

He waited and watched the boy. His eyes closed and a strange expression came over his face. He was nodding and his features scrunched slightly as he bit his lip. After what seemed like ages to the tall blond, but was more likely a few seconds. The young man's eyes snapped open and his voice came out bright and slightly higher pitched for his age and gender.

"Feliciano." He laughed at that and overjoyed tears poured down his face as he cried out again, "My name is Feliciano Vargas!"


	8. Chapter 6

"What self-respecting werewolf keeps silver in the house?"

Quote from "Dog Soldiers"

~*F*~

Feliciano generally preferred showers to baths because he enjoyed the feel of the water gushing over his hair and exposed skin, rather than simply sitting in the water with it not doing anything. However, when he had arrived at the restroom the tall blond had indicated, he found a bath already drawn for him and, not wanting to waste it, had sadly eased his aching body in. One thing a bath did offer, generally, was a comfortable silence in which to search your thoughts for answers. Lovi had always told him, _"Shower to forget your troubles, bath to think them over"_ and boy did he have troubles galore to think over.

First off, he had been forced to acknowledge that he was no longer a normal human. There was another presence, a very fearful presence, inside him that desperately wanted to take control and force him to change into its form. Well after a week, so it seemed, he had finally managed to gain control by acknowledging that the presence was there. Yes he acknowledged it...that didn't mean he had to accept it.

_No_. His eyes snapped open and stared determinedly at the ceiling. _I do not accept it. I hate you, you thing...you Wolf. I will never accept you. _

Within his own head he heard the other presence whine and felt a tremendous amount of sadness and loneliness pouring from it.

_Then..._a new sad voice that he recognized from before when it was commanding him mind to mind..._You will forever live a hard life where neither of your forms will be able to work together. You will simply exist and survive. Do you really want that?_

Feliciano whimpered and submerged into the water as if to leave the voice above the water.

_Go away. _He whined. _I wanted to think things over in private._

_You're part of our pack now. _A different voice that he thought he vaguely recognized from before entered his mind now. _Being able to read and speak via thought is a defense and survival mechanism that our kind has developed. It makes it convenient to communicate together this way when you want plans to remain hidden from enemies or threats, or when we are separated far from each other and want to make sure that members are safe and to convey information they might need to know. _

_If you accept the wolf inside you, you can learn to create a wall around your mind so that you can pick and choose what thoughts you want to convey and all the rest will remain private. Although it will also mean that I no longer feel great sympathy for you and will therefore get my revenge for earlier. _A woman's voice spoke next.

And then a younger female voice spoke quietly. _Please come out soon so the rest of us can meet you. I'm really sorry that you didn't want what's happened but Ludwig couldn't just watch you die while he could do something to stop it. Please...please come out?_

Feliciano clutched his knees and buried his head in them as he rocked slightly.

_I would suggest you take her advice and come out. While it's true that we cannot die by drowning, we still experience the sensation. And take it from someone that has experienced that first hand...it's not exactly pleasant. Besides...you look really pathetic right now, clutching your knees and rocking back and forth like a child._

This last voice broke him from his frustration and misery and made him aware that all this time...he had still been submerged under the water. He let go and broke that surface with a lot of coughing and spluttering. He shivered and moaned clutching at his pounding head before he became aware of the other presence in the room.

A young man, probably just a little bit older than himself but around the same size, stood with his arms folded and a skeptical glare. He had sandy blond hair that was cut somewhat short and deep green eyes set off a slightly sharp narrowish face. The boy gave a little huff and held out his arms and now Feliciano could see the clothes that he was holding. And...he became aware of how _unclothed_ he...Feliciano...was. He quickly tried to cover himself and turned away so the man wouldn't see his reddening face.

"Uh...are those for me?"

"Yeah." The man sounded bored, "They're mine but Ludwig said that I'm actually the closest to your size and that you really should have something more than just a long shirt for dinner tonight."

"Ah..." Feliciano stammered and smiled slightly, "Yeah that's probably a good idea." Then he blinked and turned back to the man in confusion, "Wait...did you say dinner?"

He nodded and set the clothes on the sink shelf. "The pack always eats together every night. Even Gilbert somehow always manages to make it back for dinner. Even though he's gone all the rest of the time." He muttered the last part under his breath.

Feliciano nodded, not entirely understanding why the man would be so irritated with someone being gone nearly all the time.

"Well anyway, finish up and come out soon because Lili wants to meet you and there are some things that Ludwig needs to discuss with you." With that the man left the room leaving Feliciano alone again.

He stayed in the water without moving for a few moments more before he decided that he should wash before he got out. He was frustrated that it appeared that none of his thoughts would be private again and that meant that he couldn't ever properly think his situation over any more. It seemed that despite the fact he was human once more...the wolf had been the actual winner. It was the wolf that enabled his mind to be an open book. He stepped from the tub in even more frustration and began toweling himself off as his mind roved through the colorful language that Lovi generally used.

_Stop that! _Vash's infuriated voice broke into his head. _Lili does not need to hear those words._

Feli gritted his teeth and threw the towel at the door as he and his mind screamed.

"Get the fuck out of my head!"

~*Break*~

When he stepped into what he hoped was the dining room a few moments later, he found a collection of figures waiting patiently, excitedly, and in Vash's case...with an enormous irritated frown on his face. A girl that appeared to be probably 16 jumped up and rushed over to him.

"Oh I'm so glad you're finally here! I've been waiting for the entire week you've been contained in that room for you to finally gain control so I could meet you. I'm so glad that you finally have. Now I've got another big brother finally! My name's Lili by the way! Come sit! We left a place open between Ludwig and Gilbert!" the girl began tugging him over towards the table until the Alpha put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Lili, let the young man have a chance to get his bearings. He's barely gained control and our family is still very new to him. I don't think getting dragged anywhere is quite what he needs at the moment."

Lili dropped Feliciano's hand looking a bit saddened and embarrassed as she nodded respectfully at her alpha.

"I'm sorry Ludwig. I just got caught up in the excitement of finally getting to meet him."

"We're all excited to meet the new pack member." A brand new voice that had not spoken into his mind piped up.

Feliciano turned to face a man seated in the chair beside an empty one that he assumed was meant for him. The man had silvery white-blond hair and deep reddish-violet eyes. An intense grin was plastered on his lips, showing off his incredibly sharp looking canines. As Feliciano kept staring at him, the man stood up and came over to him and Ludwig.

"Yo I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt, the awesome beta of this pack and elder brother to our fine alpha here."

He stood up and slung an arm around the tall blond's shoulders before holding out his other hand to Feliciano.

"And who might you be cute new pup?"

Felicinao was dumbfounded at how to respond, and slightly uncomfortable at being called a "cute pup".

"Um...I'm Feliciano, but most people call me Feli." He responded quietly, not taking the offered hand and looking around the room nervously. He wondered how the _pack_ would respond if he just turned tail and bolted out the room, and out of the house as well hopefully.

"We would catch you within minutes. You may have new found speed thanks to the wolf, but we have many _many_ more years of experience using that speed to become even faster and stronger. You wouldn't make it past the front gate."

Feliciano whipped around at the calm voice that he recognized as belonging to the wiry man that had brought clothes to the Alpha earlier. The man was not even looking at him. His attention was focused on a collection of papers in his lap. He calmly lifted a teacup to his lips before he actually looked over at Feliciano, who had recovered from his surprise at having the man answer him and was now clenching his fists in anger at having his mind read again.

The man studied him carefully.

"Anger at having your thoughts constantly read is going to get you nowhere. You had best accept that we are going to keep doing it until you have learned proper control. You're still unstable at the moment, and reading your thoughts will help us understand how best to get you more under control."

"My control over myself is fine." Feliciano snapped back at him.

"The wolf is not the only thing you need to control. It's the emotions and instincts that come with it." The man responded still calmly, "That takes more skill, and until you can control them, we will still consider you unstable."

Feliciano was shocked at his words but he still felt fury at having his thoughts so blatantly exposed and used against him. His nails dug into his palms as he clenched his hands still tighter. But suddenly he felt a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder.

"It's all right. We'll discuss how best to go about helping you gain full control later. For now just relax and sit down. The meal that Elizaveta and Lili made is going to grow cold if you keep arguing against Roderich...who is your new theta by the way. He deserves as much respect from you as I and Gil do."

Felciano looked backwards and up into his alpha's eyes. The crystalline blue orbs stared back down at him with kindness and understanding, but they also sparked with all the authority that demanded respect. Defeated, the young man hung his head and walked over to collapse into the empty dining room chair.

Gilbert settled next to him, still with an amused grin on his face, and faced the front of the table where Ludwig had once more taken up his position.

The alpha placed one hand on the table and tensed looking around at the others. Feliciano blinked in confusion as he saw the rest of the pack do the same and Lili looked at him and nodded. After a few moments when he was still lost as to what was expected of him, Gilbert attempted to nudge him and pointed at his hand on the table with his other hand. He understood at last and placed his own hand on the table as Ludwig closed his eyes. Feliciano watched the rest of the table to see if they would too. As he noticed they all did, he began to wonder what in the world was coming next, if this was some sort of prayer then it was the strangest way to pray that he had ever seen.

What came next though was not a prayer...

A howl suddenly split the room. Not a full wolf howl, yet not an imitation human howl either. The sound was like the cry that he had uttered when he was shifting from human to wolf and the sound was so unbearable to his sensitive ears that his eyes snapped open and he couldn't stop himself from covering his ears and whimpering. He sensed Gilbert tense beside him and the beta's voice came into his mind,

_That's not respectful dude. Can you at least bear with it for a few more seconds? Ludwig is almost done._

Feliciano managed to tear his hands away from his ears and placed one of them, now trembling, on the table once more.

_Why is he acting like a mournful wolf while human?_

Gilbert's voice chuckled slightly in his mind,

_It's a pack tradition to give thanks by sending out a mourning song for the animal that gave its life to become the meat that we are about to consume._

Feliciano's mind was racing with questions but they were interrupted by Vash's angry voice.

_Shut up till it's done would you!_

Feliciano bit his lip and tried to force his mind to not create the retort that it so desperately wanted to. He waited with closed eyes and light breathing for the howling song to end and when it did, Ludwig's voice spoke up firmly.

"Now we may eat."

Feliciano opened his eyes and looked at the alpha with new found respect. It was certainly a strange ritual, but the concept was kind of similar to a prayer. It was a prayer of thanks, just to the animal that had died in order to give them life sustaining sustenance, as opposed to God that had created all of them. Well, he wasn't sure if he could say that anymore.

"You're free to think and believe whatsoever you will." Ludwig said calmly, dishing himself meat and some vegetables first, as was tradition in all werewolf packs, "While none of us have ever been particularly religious, we have no personal objections to it. However, we also do not believe that our existence is through a being called the Devil either." His eyes took on a warning gaze as he looked at Feliciano again and passed the bowls to him and Gilbert.

Feliciano shivered and nodded as he took the bowl of vegetables and Gilbert reached over him for the plate of meat.

"As for your interest in the _ritual _as you called it" Roderich spoke up, pushing his glasses up his nose once more – that seemed to be a habbit for him – "not all packs have this tradition. We simply think that it's respectful to honor the animal we're about to eat. Even if the animal was intended for that purpose in the first place, in the case of meat from the local supermarket. Like tonight's meal."

Feliciano looked at the mouth watering slices of meat that Gilbert dished onto his plate. Their color was so interesting that he had assumed it was venison, caught and killed by a member of the pack.

"It's just beef tossed in a mixture of seasonings to make it look that way." Elizaveta laughed at his surprised expression, "We do eat what we catch. But we haven't gone hunting in awhile."

Feliciano suddenly tensed and pushed his plate away.

"What's wrong?" Elizaveta asked with concern, "Is there something wrong with the way we made it."

"No, this meal is fine. I'm just..." he shivered and turned away, "Not hungry."

Images of Steven flashed through his mind along with Elizaveta's words repeating in a never-ending teasing song.

_We do eat what we catch. We do eat what we catch. Eat what we catch._

"Oh give me a break!" Elizaveta snapped. She stood up and raced around the table, grabbing Feliciano's fork and spearing a fat peace of beef and a carrot on it before shoving it into the surprised boy's mouth.

"NOT ONE OF US HAS EVER EATEN HUMAN! WE DON'T EAT _EVERYTHING _WE KILL! AND WE RARELY KILL HUMANS OK? THAT MAN DESERVED TO DIE FOR WHAT HE DID TO YOU! NOW EAT YOUR FUCKING DINNER!"

"Liz!" Vash shouted angrily, "Language seriously!"

"Sorry Vash." The woman sighed and came back around the table to sit down, "I couldn't stop it from coming out." She violently grabbed her own fork and began shoveling food into her grumbling mouth. Between bites words like "ungrateful" "stupid puppy" and "suspicious whelp" could be heard.

Gilbert chuckled while he shoveled food into his mouth and spoke to a still startled Feliciano between bites.

"Liz is a force to be reckoned with as you can see. She's not Ludwig's mate but we all still consider her the alpha female in this house. You can especially see this side of her when someone insults her cooking or Roddie."

A small silver dish came flying across the table and smacked Gilbert in the forehead, leaving a small dent, before falling onto his plate.

"Perhaps could we just once have one meal where something wasn't thrown across the table please?" Ludwig sighed and glared at both Elizaveta and Gilbert in turn.

"Then stop putting tiny things like shakers and the silver butter dish within her reach." Gilbert whined rubbing his forehead and picking said plate out of his food.

Feliciano couldn't help but smile and internally he was laughing. Liz had thrown the tiny silver dish like a frisby and she had perfect aim to get Gilbert's forehead with it at just the right time. It was a good thing she hadn't thrown one of the silver utensils he was using or else Gilbert would probably have been seriously hurt. Still, who knew that a tiny silver dish could be so lethal. He thought the only thing that could be hurt by silver was...

With a yelp Feliciano had pushed himself away from the table so violently that his head hit the back of the chair and the momentum caused the piece of furniture, and himself, to topple backwards with a crash.

"What the hell?!" Gilbert shouted jumping away from him in shock.

"Oh gosh what happened?" Lili and Elizaveta both cried out jumping from their chairs and trying to get around the table to check that he was alright.

"What now?" Vash groaned and put his head down on the table, "This new pup is really trying my patience."

Ludwig held out a hand to stop the girls and approached the new werewolf who had untangled himself from the chair and was currently backed up against the china cabinet clutching his mouth with one hand and stomach with the other.

Ludwig stepped towards him and the boy tried to shrink back even farther while his mind screamed out _Stay away! Stay away from me you monsters! You liars! You murderers! I can't believe I thought I might be able to trust you! You liars! You gave me silver! You gave me fucking silver! You're monsters! You didn't want to help me! You didn't save me from death! You just decided to prolong it and have me suffer in the meantime! You liars! You bastards! I hate you! I hate you all! Go die! I hope all of you get shot like the monsters you are! I hope..._

His ranting thoughts were cut off by the rough slamming punch to the side of his head and the pain and ringing that followed it. Slowly through the pain the alpha's angry thoughts reached him and made him curl up even farther away from the fury filled blue eyes that were now on his level.

_Don't ever, EVER, say you wish that my pack would be shot! I will kill you if you ever say that again! Or call any of them a monster. I swear I will kill you instantly. Now if you would just calm down and listen to me I'll explain something to you. We did not try to poison you tonight. You are not going to die just because you used a silver spoon. Now if you get up off the ground and sit in your chair like a good little boy I'll tell you anything you want to know about your new other form and life. _

With that he held out his hand and waited for the whimpering young man to accept it and be helped up.

Once everyone was back in their seats and had cleaned up spills and replaced fallen food, Ludwig began to explain things to his new pack member, starting with the truth about silver.

"Silver is deadly poison to us that's true, but only if it remains in our bodies or enters the blood stream. If you were to ingest any your body would react to it and immediately dispel it. It's not a pleasant experience but it's better than slowly dying from a few measly silver flakes. However, silver that enters the bloodstream either through a bullet or other weapon is deadly to us. It causes excruciating pain and stops our body's natural defense of trying to heal itself when we get injured. If enough silver enters your blood then you are certain to suffer painfully and die within minutes if it can't be removed.

"Then why do you even have it in the house?" Feliciano asked, gingerly taking a bite off the very end of his silver fork.

"For defense against other werewolves." Ludwig explained calmly.

"Our pack hasn't been attacked since we moved to this location, but we never dismiss the fact that it could happen. Packs occasionally try to steal territory from each other in order to show superiority, strength, and occasionally special skills. Ludwig can explain about those later if he chooses." Roderich explained while buttering some broccoli on his plate.

Feliciano blinked at the wiry theta across the table with curiosity.

Liz smiled.

"It looks like you'll have to now Ludwig, I think he's curious about what Roderich meant."

Ludwig sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I really wanted to save that for a later discussion but I guess it can't be helped" he took a deep drink from his water glass and sighed again, "All right. To begin with, I'm sure that you've heard stories and rumors regarding supernaturals and their _special powers_?"

Feliciano nodded, listening intently.

"Well it's completely true, except that not every supernatural personage has one, and some have many."

"So fire, water, earth, and air powers? Like in Avatar?"

Gilbert chuckled.

"Yeah and there are even some that can control all four like the Avatar."

Feliciano's eyes went wide and he began to grow excited for the first time in awhile.

"So I might have a special power then?"

Gilbert chuckled even more.

"Well at least you're excited about something that comes with being a werewolf. But don't forget that Ludwig said not everyone has them. In fact, only one member of our pack has one."

Feliciano was even more curious now.

"Who?" he looked around the table as if he could find the gifted member just by their outer appearance.

"I'll tell you when I explain about our pack in a few minutes." Ludwig assured him with a smile, "Be patient for now."

Feliciano pouted a bit and went back to eating with a bit more enthusiasm now, partially because his hunger was finally getting the better of his unease. But his mind continued to run through the different possibilities. He managed to notice with curiosity that Gilbert flinched ever so slightly when his mind thought _invisibility?_

But Ludwig began speaking again so his attention went back to the Alpha once more.

"Something else that you should understand about what you are now is that when you were bitten you're natural abilities increased dramatically. For example, Elizaveta had a strong arm and a skilled throw as a human, so now she almost never misses her target and her throw has even more force behind it. Do you understand?"

"I think so." Feliciano bit his lip and his mind began working again.

_I've always been a good runner so now I should be super fast. Maybe if I could get outside they wouldn't be able to catch me._

"Thank you for that information. Duly noted. Everyone make sure he stays far away from the doors that lead outside." Roderich stated calmly.

"Damn." Feliciano groaned and put his hand to his forehead, "I keep forgetting that my thoughts aren't private anymore."

"For now no." Ludwig sighed and reached over to place his hand over the new werewolves.

Feliciano was startled but didn't draw his own back.

"It's imperative that you learn better control Feliciano and fast. The next Full Moon is coming up soon and I would rather you be able to run with us than have to lock you in that room again. But if you haven't learned to control your other side then you'll be a danger to us, any unfortunate humans that decided to vacation in the woods, and yourself as well. A rogue wolf would instantly be able to tell that you don't have control and they could easily use that to lead you away from us and kill you. There is nothing a rogue likes more than killing a new wolf when the moon is high."

Feliciano shivered and instantly his mind was filled with just one thing...fear.

"I trust your reaction means that you'll try?" Ludwig asked softly but firmly and did not remove his hand from the top of Feliciano's until the young man nodded.

"Good. Then now that you understand the serious information I can explain our pack members to you and the different roles that we all play."

The rest of the table had grown silent and serious when he had explained the danger that Feliciano was currently in without control, but now they were all smiles and back to eating as Ludwig began to talk about each of them in turn.

"As you know I am the alpha of our pack. It's my job to make sure that all of my pack members are protected, healthy, and happy to the extent that I can help them. I am what is referred to as a pureblood werewolf, my brother and I were born into a pack. Roderich and Vash are our cousins. My brother Gilbert, as you know, is my beta and responsible for making sure that the pack is well prepared in the event that we were attacked. You'll start training with him once you've gained enough control, because he trains both sides of you, human and wolf. He is also responsible for taking over as temporary alpha should I have to leave the pack for longer than a day, and he will become alpha should I be killed."

"Don't talk about that Bruder." Gilbert groaned mockingly, "I don't want the responsibility of an alpha. And I don't like to think of you dead either of course."

Ludwig laughed slightly at that. It was a nice sound and made Feliciano feel more at ease.

"I have to explain everything about our pack to our new pup so that he's prepared for anything." Ludwig set down his fork on his plate and took another drink before continuing.

"Roderich is my theta. He's responsible for making sure that everything in the pack and house is running smoothly, if there's an issue between members..." he stared meaningfully between Gilbert and Elizaveta, "he's supposed to try and clear it up before turning to me as a final resort. I will not tolerate problems that put my packs peace at risk."

"She started it tonight." Gilbert grumbled and stuffed a huge piece of meat in his mouth.

"Maybe if you were ever home more than just once a day I would have time to try and tolerate you." Elizaveta countered waving her water glass around so that the remaining contents went flying in several directions.

Ludwig ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Can I get back to explaining things please? You know the two of you are probably making Feliciano feel even more uncertain about being a member of our pack."

Feliciano shook his head and smiled happily for the first time that night.

"They're not bothering me. My grandfather and brother didn't get along very well so I'm used to this type of bickering." Instantly his smile fell again and his eyes widened. Talking about Lovi had reminded him of his twin and that made another realization hit him...the pack members had said a week. A week was how long he had been in that room struggling with the wolf. A week was how long he had been missing from home. A week was how long Lovino had probably been frantically worrying and trying to find him. Lovino had probably cried more in the past week than he had when their parents had died in that car accident. An image of his older twin huddled up on his bed with tears streaming down onto the pillow, while sobbing out "Feli. Oh god Feli where are you?!" Lovi needed him. Much as he complained that he, Feli, got on his nerves and was the reason he was stuck working two fucking stupid jobs and not furthering his education, Feliciano knew that his brother really didn't feel this way and loved him so dearly, to the point that he really dreaded even thinking that someday Feli would probably leave him to move on with his future. And that fear is exactly what had been taken out of their hands. And that realization, the knowledge that he had left his brother alone without any explanation or apology...made him start to cry.

The entire table fell silent as they followed his thoughts.

"Oh." Liz whispered and buried her face in Roderich's shoulder, "We wondered but...we had hoped that maybe..."

Lili started crying herself and Vash put his arms around her to try and comfort her.

Gilbert reached a hand out to comfort the young man beside him but Ludwig shook his head and the hand dropped back to the beta's table where it clenched in frustration.

Ludwig didn't make any attempt himself but calmly lifted up his glass and stated an answer to the boys hysterically depressed and racing mind.

"You can't contact him Feliciano. If you do there'll be questions. Questions that you can't answer without revealing what you are. And I will not let you do that and put my pack at risk."

"But he'll think I'm dead. He already probably thinks that." The Italian wolf sobbed.

"Yes, and it's better that way. That will be the end of it." The alpha responded firmly as he drained the last gulp of water.

"Bastard!" Feliciano shouted jumping from his chair still sobbing uncontrollably but absolutely furious now, "I hate you! If I'm supposed to be dead to the ones I care about then why didn't you just let me die?! I hate you! You bastard I hate you! I'm all he has left! I don't know what he might do if he believes I'm dead! He might...Oh god he might!

Feliciano had backed up into the cabinet again with his hands over his face and a single word running through his head over and over.

_Suicide_

And he broke. His legs gave out and he collapsed to the floor screaming with visions of his brother lying on the ground with his eyes half open but not seeing anything, lips slightly parted but no breath, and skin with all color drained.

Feliciano clutched at his arms with nails that were becoming slightly elongated that tore through the shirt and sliced at his flesh. He could barely feel his control slipping but he did hear the shout from Ludwig.

"Lili quick before he shifts!"

And there was the girl, by his side in an instant with her hand hovering over his tear laced eyes.

"Sorry about this." Lili whispered as a single word swept from her mind to his as if on a gentle breeze.

_Sleep_

And he did.


	9. Chapter 7

(For reference in order of events: Lovino became Antonio's donor yesterday)

"Suppose he is only mad one day out of four.' The doctor paused. 'Or when the moon is full. Or when he sees it full in his mind's eye."  
>― Leslie H. Whitten Jr., <em>Moon of the Wolf<em>

~*F*~

Feliciano leaned his head back against the wall of the stone room and sighed. He had never wanted to end up in here again but the Alpha had decided that it was a fitting punishment.

True to his statement, Roderich and the other pack members had been watching him incredibly closely and stepped in the way if he got anywhere near a door, or a left out cell phone. The house itself didn't have a main phone because every pack member had their own cell phone, besides him, and they didn't even use those much. Except for the Alpha and Beta. In the week that he had been out of solitary confinement, Feliciano had begun learning more about each of the individual pack members, including their habits, likes, dislikes, and occupations.

Lili had in fact been 17 and a new high school graduate when she was turned, despite seeming younger, and was currently enrolled in online courses to receive an Associates of Science degree. She had a sweet caring disposition and stayed close beside him, coming up with ideas that they could do together. And it wasn't because she was keeping an eye on him for the sake of the pack, but rather for his sake. She felt like he needed company and since she was the newest member of the pack before him, she was very understanding of the struggle he was going through with control.

"Something that helped me was deep breathing while trying to let your mind relax. Then you envision your other side in your mind and address it. Establish control but also show that you care about it. I know it's difficult especially because you didn't choose this existence but, things will become easier for you once you do gain control. You're in pain and dealing with stress from several worries right now, I know. With control, the pain will ease and eventually fade."

"Except when we shift."

"Even that will become like second nature in time."

"Why did you choose this? You had just graduated high school. You had your whole life ahead of you. Why did you choose to become...different?"

"I had my reasons." The girl's voice grew quieter and slightly pained.

Feliciano felt guilty at possibly forcing her to recall bad memories.

"Sorry I..."

"And I still have my whole life ahead of me. One that I chose. I'm still going to earn a college degree and despite what Vash thinks, I will get a job at some point. There is a whole network of supernatural employers you know."

Lili was also the only member of the pack with a special power. What she'd used on him that first night was what she referred to as _emotion and desire manipulation_. She had made him have a strong desire to sleep and had manipulated all his emotions into the calm needed to sleep. The result had made him instantly fall asleep. The idea that she had such control over him like that had made him rather uneasy of her for a few days after, until she had made it clear that she didn't use her ability unless under the utmost need. And that situation had called for the utmost need.

Vash was incredibly protective of Lili to the point that he acted like an older brother or mate to her. He was a Beilschmidt cousin but not on the werewolf side. It turned out that Margaret Beilschmidt, Ludwig and Gilbert's grandmother had been born human and had been married and had a daughter before she had become a werewolf. Vash was a descendant of that daughter. He had been enrolled in the military when he had been turned, against his will like Feliciano. His hard crazed life after that had appalled him so much when he finally got control, that he was now a pacifist and didn't really care for violence. He was still an incredible shot with any form of firearm, but he much preferred to spend his time reading or assisting Lili with anything she might need. However, it had been made clear that once Feliciano was able to freely leave the house and start combat training with Gilbert, he would also start weapon training with Vash.

"It's just a precaution like having silver in the house, but if we are attacked then being able to use a loaded weapon might be more valuable than engaging in a tooth and claw fight."

"But I'm a terrible shot. I've gone to a range a couple of times and have never been able to hit a single target."

"You've never had me for a teacher."

Elizaveta spent her days doing several different things. She was the homemaker, main cook, seamstress, and comforter when it was needed. But she was also the most skilled hunter of the entire pack, and incredibly deadly with that arm of hers. He had seen her practicing throwing knives in the backyard and she had hit the circular target in a perfect, triple circle formation. The appointed Alpha Female...was deadly. She was also the oldest turned of the pack.

"In my home country of Hungary back before I was turned, there was great conflict going on and my father decided that me and my three sisters needed to be trained in order to defend ourselves if he happened to be away. My sisters didn't latch onto the training as well as I did and in the end that's why they didn't survive and I did. It was shortly after I lost them that I chose to become a werewolf in order to survive. I'm rather scared of death and dying I'm afraid. That's why if you don't gain enough control before full moon night then I will insist that Ludwig shut you back in that room rather than have you run with us, because otherwise I would be utterly terrified of something happening to you."

Roderich, the theta, had made the decision to become a werewolf shortly after fleeing from his home in Austria during WWII. Like Vash he was a Beilshcmidt relation from the human side. He was the oldest in terms of age when he had been turned, 25, and therefore it made him feel rather more mature than the rest of the pack besides the Alpha. He had an air of sophistication about him and seemed quite proud of it. He was also a skilled musician and his room was filled with several different stringed and woodwind instruments. But his favorite thing to play was the piano.

"My parents called me a prodigy and had high hopes for me. I started playing at the age of 3 and began composing when I was 7. I made a name for myself in Vienna and Salzburg especially. Things were going wonderfully until Austria got dragged into the war. So I decided to flee to Switzerland. I might tell you more of that story at a later time when you're more established in the pack. For now it's too personal. "

Gilbert was the one that he had learned most everything about from the rest of the pack, because the man himself was hardly ever home, except for dinner and a few other meals, and the rare day that he had come home around 2 and passed out on the couch. According to Elizaveta this behavior had just started a few months ago and whenever they confronted him about it, Gilbert always managed to avoid the questions or just laugh them off by saying he'd just been really busy lately. It was possible that the beta was simply spending more time with his band then in the past because he had had several concerts lately. It turned out that Gilbert's band was Blood Moon Rising, the same band that he had told Lovino to look up that one night.

Thinking of Lovino in even this simple way made Feliciano's stomach clench with regret. He was still so worried about his brother and what he might do...what he might already have done but...he had been unsuccessful at doing anything about it so far. Even his latest attempt had failed and had just wound him back in this accursed room. Earlier that evening he had managed to dash through the door as Elizaveta came back from shopping for some new clothes for him and his newly increased speed had carried him far from the house before Gilbert had caught him by chance as he came from a different direction in the forest.

"Young pup you're going to run us ragged." The stronger beta had laughed as he threw him over his shoulder, "Your thoughts gave you away again. I heard them and traced them right to you. Though I must say you were booking it. When you finally accept things and gain control you're gonna be at the front of the pack on runs I can guarantee it." He'd laughed again as Feliciano had struggled furiously, with his thoughts cussing the other man out until Vash's thoughts had started screaming at him about language again.

Feliciano growled and folded his arms, staring up at the blank ceiling. He needed to think of something else to take his mind off his frustration.

_You could think of Ludwig. That usually calms you down. You seem to find him interesting. _

Feliciano had gotten used to his thoughts being invaded by now but he still didn't really like it much.

_Have you been enjoying my thoughts about all of you Lili?_

_Yes. I'm glad that you like me now. I'm sorry about making you uneasy at first. And I'm also glad that you seem to be taking an interest in us enough to remember things about us that we've told you._

Feliciano smiled and turned towards the door where he now saw that some of the light that seeped through the bottom slit was now being blocked.

_Are you sitting on the other side of the door?_

_I thought you might like some company, but Ludwig told me that since you're being punished I can't come into the room._

He actually laughed at that and he instantly was able to sense Lili's delight at the sound.

_Your laughter is wonderful. I hope I can hear it more often in the future. _

Instantly his thoughts became more subdued again and he clutched his knees to his chest.

_Sorry but I don't think that will ever happen. I've accepted my fate now and I've accepted the pack but...I just can't forget...and I can't forgive them for keeping me from..._

_I'm sorry. _Lili's thoughts conveyed pain before they turned curious, _What's your brother like?_

_Pretty much like I've been acting, except not as melancholy. Lovi is much better at keeping his feelings locked inside, except for when he's angry, annoyed, or afraid, or if he feels really comfortable around someone. But like I said, he rarely will even show other feelings to me. But that doesn't really matter because since we're twins I can just kinda sense his mood and concealed feelings, though I rarely will let him know that I'm aware of them. I think that might make him very uneasy. I'm sorry to say that most of the colorful language that my thoughts have been using are ones that he favors. I am really sorry for subjecting you to it._

_No matter what Vash may think, I'm actually quite used to that and it doesn't really bother me. I did go to a public high school after all._

Feliciano didn't laugh again but he did smile and he could feel his mood lifting a little with talking to her. But talking about his brother wasn't helping him forget that and he did still feel so horribly worried.

_Can you sense him?_

Lili's thoughts startled and confused him.

_What do you mean?_

_You told me that because you're twins you're still able to sense his mood and emotions. So it's sort of like if you can sense his mind a bit. You're worried that he might have done something awful since you disappeared, but well...wouldn't you be able to sense if...he was dead?_

Feliciano's head snapped up. He hadn't thought of it that way but now that Lili brought it up. He had been so focused on his personal anger and annoyance at being kept from his brother and his own fears at what Lovino might do that he hadn't even realized that he hadn't once felt anything from his strange internal connection to his twin that might indicate that Lovino had done exactly what he feared. But now...And especially with the heightened senses and increased ability that his new life brought with it...

He took a breath and closed his eyes once more, trying to let his thoughts focus completely on Lovino and in particular, on their connection. And...There! He had sensed something like impatience mixed with some other emotions that weren't clear enough for him to distinguish but...the fact that there was any emotion at all meant...Lovino was alive! His brother was alive and...if the particular emotion was anything to go off of...the same as ever!

Feliciano began laughing and crying out of relief. He hugged his knees tighter and rocked, letting the happy tears pour faster from his eyes and choke his laughter into bursts and gasps.

_You can't die from suffocating either but that's also a painful experience._

_How...? _Feliciano tried to form his thoughts into coherent sentences but it was proving really difficult when _Alive_ kept breaking into all of them. And he really was having trouble breathing from all of the hysterical overjoyed laughter that was escaping. Finally he managed to form the sentence though. _How many different death experiences have you had Vash?_

_Someday I might answer that question. For now just get ahold of yourself, Lili is looking really worried. _

_I...can't...I'm just too overwhelmed at the moment_

He expected Vash's angry exclamations or Lili's worried voice to enter his mind again but a new, more commanding one did.

_Feliciano I'm glad that you've found out your brother is ok but, controlling happy emotions is just as important as controlling the dangerous ones. Now calm down. Get control of yourself._

Ludwig's voice seemed really calm but he caught the edge of relief in it that strangely enough did make him feel calmer. He forced the laughter to stop and tried to breathe evenly while the tears subsided.

_Good job. _The door opened. _You can come out now. I have a feeling you won't try to run again anytime soon._

Lili ran in and hugged him tightly.

"Everything's ok now?" she asked softly.

Feliciano nodded and broke away from her. To everyone's surprise, especially the receiving member, he threw his arms around Ludwig next and buried his tear stained face against the Alpha's chest.

"Wha?" Ludwig stammered.

"Thank you." Feliciano whispered.

Ludwig blinked in confusion.

"Do you really hate that room that much?"

Feliciano laughed lightly but immediately cut it off with ease.

"That's not why."

Ludwig blinked again and pried the new wolf off of him looking down at him.

"I don't understand then."

"Thank you for saving me from dying." Feliciano said with a smile.

They all stared at him in confusion but his thoughts revealed the answer to what they all wanted to know.

_If I had died and been left in that park then Lovi would have surely committed suicide. But because my body disappeared...I sensed from him a sure hope that I might be still alive. I think he's clinging to that hope to keep him alive._

"But that's not a good thing." Ludwig frowned, "I told you..."

"To you it might not be." Feliciano looked straight into his eyes, "But it makes me happy all the same. I might never be able to see Lovi again, but it gives me relief to know that he hasn't given up on life, and on me."

With that he left the hallway and headed back towards his own room.

~*F*~

The day of the full moon threatened to rain but by evening all of the clouds had cleared up and the sky was perfectly clear. Feliciano watched the sunset, trying to use it as a focus point while he practiced breathing steadily and keeping his thoughts contained. He had slowly been gaining more and more time in which his thoughts remained completely his own. Currently he was up to a little over an hour but his rapid success made the Alpha relieved and confident that he would soon gain full control of those like he had of everything else. They had run a series of tests the night before to make sure that he really would be ready to run with them, and he had passed all with just a bit of difficulty. He could now actively control shifting, though it was still painful as hell, and the sound of his bones and muscles snapping and reforming still made him cringe and whimper. But he now was able to control the wolf and forced it, _himself_, to behave and not attack his pack members even when in their human forms. He had also been able to use his sense of smell and new resolve to belong to the pack to locate the Alpha, Theta, and direction the Beta had taken in different parts of the forest just around the house. And a test with Gilbert had given the pack assurance that no rogue wolves in the area would be able to hear his thoughts unless they got really close, which Ludwig would quickly rectify. The Beta had confirmed that he was unable to hear the new wolf's thoughts from his location at the music studio in town. They had continued testing the distance up until about 100 feet from the house when Gilbert announced that all of Feliciano's thoughts were once more clear and vibrant in his head. Another test earlier this day had narrowed it down to 80 feet.

Feliciano felt proud of himself, and he was delighted that he could keep his thoughts private even if for just a little while. (While it was true that he could keep his mind _veiled_, as he had dubbed it, for over an hour, it gave him a splitting headache after about half an hour, which is usually what caused him to break his control in the end. But even that was getting better. And he always took the opportunity when his thoughts were private to think about Lovino and try to focus on their connection. Since that first time Lovino's mind now seemed confused, uneasy, and afraid. Feliciano had desperately been trying to figure out a way to use their connection to speak to his brother through thoughts just like he did with the pack. So far though, every time he had tried it had instantly snapped his mind veil and he had fallen to the ground panting and sweating from exertion. But that didn't stop him from continuing to try and he did feel a great sense of accomplishment that he could briefly achieve two tasks at once, keeping his mind veiled and using that to bridge the connection with his brother.

But the unexpected snaps when he had seemed to be doing so well were starting to make Ludwig suspicious. When it had happened again at just that moment, Ludwig's voice immediately came into his mind.

_What are you trying to do that is making you lose control so suddenly?_

_Really bad migraine just made it too difficult._

_You don't usually snap when that happens though._

_Maybe it's just all the testing that I've undergone lately that has my body fatigued._

_If you're tired perhaps it would be better if you didn't run tonight._

_No please!_

Feliciano had just continued looking out the window while they began talking but the panic that suddenly struck him with Ludwig's thoughts made him leap from his chair and run down towards the Alpha's office with his thoughts racing in a panic. He threw open the door and stood panting in the doorway.

Ludwig looked up at him startled. The young wolf had been so calm lately as he tried to gain control that the Alpha had almost forgotten how unstable and prone to emotion Feliciano really was.

"I have to run tonight!" Feliciano gasped, leaning against the doorframe, "You can't lock me up in that room again!"

Ludwig recovered from his shock and looked back levelly at the young man.

"I can actually. I am your Alpha with that authority. If I feel that you are not ready..."

"But I am!" Feliciano practically wailed, "I am ready! Please."

He gazed back into Ludwig's eyes and decided to let his thoughts speak since he was having trouble breathing from the fear.

_I have to run Ludwig. The wolf...er my other side. He...WE need to feel the forest ground beneath our paws. Experience the sensation of letting our muscles stretch as we leap fallen logs. Relish in the night breeze that tickles our nose and whispers in our ears. And give praise through song to the Great Mother Moon. Please..._he finally got control of his breathing and managed to whisper out his last phrase, "Don't deny me that right."

Ludwig smiled and got up. He was still a little uneasy about the new wolf losing control of his thoughts so suddenly and randomly but he decided that for tonight he could push those worries aside. The delight and desire that had been conveyed with Feliciano's thoughts reminded him of his first run back as an adolescent. He too had held those same wishes and his desperation at possibly still being left behind had been too much to bear, he had actually cried that day, something that even back then he rarely ever did.

The Alpha came right up and placed a hand on his newest pack member's head.

"All right then." He smiled, "You can run. But please, promise me that you will strive to maintain control through the entire night and that you will obey everything I tell you. I am Alpha after all."

Feliciano looked up at him through his shining amber eyes and nodded.

"Si! I promise!"

The young man threw his arms around his much larger alpha for the second time that week and Ludwig couldn't stop the surprise from making his skin heat up at the contact and his heart begin to race faster. It appeared that he was going to have to get used to the way Feliciano showed his gratitude, because he had a feeling that this was going to keep happening quite often in the future.

~*F*~

Exhilarating!

What he had described to Ludwig as his wishes did not compare with the actual feelings and sensations that he was now experiencing. He could hardly feel his paws touch the ground, barely conscious of the fact that he was running faster on four legs than he had on two just a day before. The trees whipped by and appeared before him so dangerously that one misstep could carry him crashing into one at full force. But that was a possibility. Running, and occasionally narrowly missing, was his reality. With each log cleared, each small stream crossed, he grew more delighted and confident. He didn't even care about hunting. He didn't care about his previous worries anymore. What were human cares to him? In this moment he was Wolf!

_Didn't I warn you? Those thoughts are dangerous._

Feliciano snapped control back over his mind and forced the wolf to remain in check beside true human once more.

_Sorry Ludwig. I got caught up in the thrill of the experience._

_You don't have to apologize, just keep control. And slow your pace for a moment. Remember you promised to stay close, or did you lose awareness of that as well?_

Ludwig's voice sounded tired and worried, though Feliciano wondered how anyone could feel that way with the full moon making the wolf's desires so prominent and seeming to give extra strength and stamina. He looked over his shoulder briefly to discover absolutely nobody behind him anymore. Instantly he snapped his head back around to avoid hitting a tree and then pushed his paws into the soft earth to slow momentum till he was at a complete stop.

Panting for breath now that he was aware of the lack, the young wolf waited for the rest of his pack to catch up. He whined a couple of times in impatience and flexed his nails. Waiting was terrible. Running was better.

_Come on hurry up! You already made me wait longer than we should have tonight because you and Gilbert talked so long before dinner!_

_Pack business comes before pleasure. _Ludwig's voice responded warily. _And when I said to slow down I didn't mean for you to completely stop. At a standstill you're vulnerable. A moving target is more difficult to attack._

Feliciano yawned and the Wolf proudly chided that there was no danger around that he wouldn't defeat. Who could hope to defeat such a swift, agile wolf as him? But Feliciano himself was instantly on guard. He stared around the patch of forest he had stopped in and ignored the confident feelings coming from the wolf so that his senses wouldn't be inhibited. He enjoyed the natural abilities of sharper eyesight, especially in the dark, keener sense of smell, and heightened hearing, that came with his present form. When he had stepped outside the first time that week, the world had been so different, more in focus, than when he was an ordinary human. But now...as Wolf...the world was even more available to him. His sharp eyes picked out far distant trees and were able to spot the owl perched in a lower branch of the farthest on the left side. All the smells of the forest sorted themselves from combined into individual. His ears picked up every tiny noise in a good portion of the area around him. And his paws could feel light tremors through the earth from distant animals running, including...one that was close.

_Prey! _

Feliciano's wariness melted away as the wolf's desires took over once more. Ludwig had told him to keep running. Well then why not run in a direction that would bring the delight of a hunt and kill? He took off in the direction the tremors were coming from.

_Stop! _Ludwig's voice yelled into his head, _You don't know what it is for sure! Stop!_

But temporarily the wolf was in control once more, because the feeling of the moving earth had come accompanied with the scent of _blood_.

_Verdamnt!_ Ludwig cursed himself as Feliciano's uncontained thoughts came racing through his mind, _I knew it was too soon to let him come, but...he seemed so desperate that I caved. Dummkopf! _He put on a fresh burst of speed and turned in the direction that his wild member had raced, _Roderich, Vash, stay with Lili. Only come if I order you to. And make sure to be back at the house before morning._

The three indicated pack members nodded and continued heading in the direction they had been going. Each of the males keeping close to either side of the small female.

_Gilbert, Elizaveta, follow me. _

The remaining two wolves leapt after him. The beautiful caramel brown female a lithe form as she cleared fallen trees and large rocks with ease. And the male a streak of white on his alpha's left side.

Ludwig led them in a wide curved path in the hopes of cutting off Feliciano before he could reach whatever it was he was pursuing. The alpha continued to curse himself for being an idiot and not calling Feliciano back the instant the new wolf had begun to run faster and farther ahead, and even more for forgetting to test if his hunters lust was controllable yet. He begged Mother Moon that what had caught the pup's attention was easy prey and not predator. Feliciano's thoughts were still racing with the thrill of the chase and the desire to sink fangs into hide and flesh...until a new sensation took over in an instant.

_Fear_

_Nein! _Ludwig was in a panic now and he could sense that Gilbert and Liz were as well as they put on a burst of speed with him, and then they had burst through the trees to a lake. Three shapes were on the pebble and rock strewn beach. The smell of blood in the air was almost overpowering but to Ludwig's control and years of experience it was nothing his rationality couldn't overpower. The blood came from the whitetail doe with her head barely touching the water. Clearly dead since he couldn't sense her heartbeat, not to mention the vast amount of damage done to her body. Damage that could only have been done by the wolf standing protectively before her. His ears were laid back and his shining silver-blond fur was ruffled, his blood stained sharp fangs were bared in a warning growl as his piercing violet eyes studied the other wolf before him. And that wolf was, of course, Feliciano. The auburn wolf was the same size as the other which was what was probably causing his proud nature to get the better as he took a step forward.

_Don't! _Ludwig shouted. But his warning came at the same moment as the silver wolf leapt and snapped.

Feliciano let out a yelp and tried to extract himself from the teeth now clamped in his shoulder.

_Nein! _Ludwig shouted out again and with a challenging howl was instantly over the rocks with teeth flashing and claws extended. He would rip the rogue apart. Elizaveta streaked past him and leapt onto the back of the silver wolf with all her might, forcing him to let go of Feliciano through pain and a need to shake her off. Ludwig came barreling into both of them, using his muscle and strength to send the silver wolf skittering and crashing onto his side on the beach. The impact sent Elizaveta flying, but she landed on her feet with ease in front of Feliciano in a defensive position. The silver wolf now lay panting and whimpering on the ground with blood matting the fur on his back and, if what Ludwig had heard when he'd smashed into him was any indication, fractured or broken ribs. All that was left was to shout all his fury into the rogue's face and finish him off with one swift bite to the neck. Rogues were a danger in general and all packs had been given instruction to kill them if they posed a specific threat. The attack on his newest pack member, was all the specific threat he needed.

Ludwig stalked over towards the rogue but was stopped in his tracks when Gilbert leapt in-between with his fangs bared.

_What are you doing? _Ludwig stared back at his beta through blue eyes that had turned icy and steel.

_You can't kill him._

Ludwig did not break eye contact but he was startled by the angry coldness in his brother's normally jovial voice.

_He attacked a member of my pack!_

_He defended his kill. Feliciano was to blame. He stepped forward first. _

_It doesn't matter. The rogue still attacked. I have my responsibility to my pack and the supernatural community. Rogues are dangerous. You know that._

_He's not a rogue. He's just a loner._

Ludwig stopped and his snarl turned into a growl of wariness and suspicion.

_Gilbert Beilschmidt, beta of my pack, how do you know that? What have you been keeping from me? From all of us?_

The white wolf continued to stare into his brother's eyes for a little while before he turned around. He leaned his head down and licked the injured wolf's ear and then his cheek.

Ludwig growled again and continued to stare at his beta, waiting for his answer.

_Matthew is mine. _Gilbert's voice spoke calmly but still managed to convey every emotion he felt at that moment and for the silver wolf. _He's the reason I haven't been home often. I've been with him every chance I get. _

_I would know of a loner on my territory. _

_Not if I hid him from even you._

Ludwig growled in fury and Gilbert did flinch slightly but he continued to explain his secret calmly.

_Matthew was mistreated by his pack. Turned without consent, like Feliciano, but then kept as more of a pet then a member of the pack, unlike Feliciano. I couldn't help but take pity on him when I found him and even before I got to know him, I was determined to keep him safe._

_Where? _Ludwig's fury was still present but he was also genuinely curious how Gilbert had managed to keep a lone werewolf out of his awareness. Rogues were dangerous because they had usually lost that spark that came with human, and therefore they simply registered as wolf in his senses. But a loner still had that connection to their human side which meant that any that entered his territory should have registered as werewolf on his senses. But this _Matthew_, had not. Why?

_Matthew has invisibility. That old hunting cabin not far on the other side of this lake is where I took him too. But ever since I brought him onto our land he's been cloaking his presence. Literally being invisible. _

It was the answer Ludwig had been expecting but it was still nonetheless disconcerting. To think that a loner had been on his land for probably months now and he had been completely unaware of him. That wasn't going to stand. He couldn't have that. It was dangerous.

He took a step forward but instantly Gilbert was all teeth and laid back ears.

_I'm warning you Ludwig. You may be my alpha and more importantly my brother, but I will not hesitate to fight you off if you try and come near him._

Ludwig wanted to laugh and yet his brother's words hurt him deeply as well. They both knew that in a fight Ludwig would kill him within minutes, and yet for the sake of his loner, Gilbert was willing to face that certainty. Was that type of devotion what was referred to as love?

He felt a presence beside him and became aware for the first time in several moments of Feliciano's thoughts.

_It was my fault. I lost control and the wolf's hunting instincts took over I'm sorry. Please don't kill the other wolf. My shoulder will heal and anyways...it seems by the way he's standing over him, that he's important to Gil. Is he by chance Gil's secret?_

_Yes. _Ludwig looked at the smaller wolf beside him. Feliciano's shoulder actually looked pretty bad despite the young wolf's assurances. But it was his eyes that caught Ludwig's attention. The amber orbs were staring ahead at the other two wolves, but they appeared to be seeing something more. Something special that caused them to sparkle and swim with warmth.

_What do we do Ludwig? _Elizaveta asked coming up protectively on Feliciano's other side and staring at Gilbert with disbelief and contempt.

The alpha sighed and let his thoughts go out to each of his pack members, explaining the situation and asking for their opinions.

_Kill him and Gil. Good riddance. _Vash's response came immediately.

_If Gilbert cares about him then you can't kill him. _Lili's voice came next, _And if he's hurt then you should bring him back here to recover. _

_Invisibility is a dangerous ability to let run loose on our territory. He's behaved so far, and maybe Gilbert has something to do with that, but it could be only a matter of time before loner turns to rogue, and then everyone's safety would be at risk. _Roderich's thought out response came next.

_You're brother's a moron and I'm uncertain since you already have Feliciano to deal with but...the best choice is probably to bring him home and make him one of us. _

_I told you that I'll challenge you if you try to hurt him. And if you make him leave...then I'll leave with him. I'm not joking around about my feelings here Bruder. Matthew is mine and I won't lose him. _

_You can't separate anyone else Ludwig. _Feliciano's response surprised and unnerved him.

_What do you mean by that?_

_If you want my continued cooperation and for me to not try to run away again, then you will not separate two people that care about each other very much. I will not forgive you for making them suffer the same pain that I do._

Ludwig flinched at that and forced himself to stare calmly back into Feliciano's vibrant accusing eyes. It was clear now by his words that the young man would never fully accept what must be and would forever live in a state of anguish and partial hatred towards him. Ludwig had convinced himself that if this happened then he would simply have to endure it and that the safety of his pack mattered more. But now, with full knowledge that it was indeed happening, his heart ached at the awareness that he was the cause and instincts to care for the one, that he didn't realize he even possessed, came forward in full. He lowered his head in shame and turned tail to pad away.

His pack members and the loner watched after him in surprise, even Feliciano hadn't expected him to react that way. But the alpha did still send commands, first to his beta, and then to the rest of his pack.

_Gilbert, bring your loner with you to the house and inform him that I am willing to accept him into our pack. Everyone, back to the house. _

Ludwig didn't even wait to see if the others were following as he trotted back into the trees lost in his own thoughts. He had had a lot on his mind since before dinner that day and now it all came bubbling back up to the surface with the pain that Feliciano's words had caused him. The news Gilbert had come home with had been worrisome, but now he began to consider it more. There was something about the situation that was curious...and now that his thoughts were solely focused on it, his mind began making possible connections and conclusions. If he was correct, then there was a possibility of bringing his newest pack member out of his depression while keeping his pack safe at the same time.


	10. Part 3 Op

**Part 3: Third Quarter**

**Moon, We Look to You.**

Moon, you have a shade of blue tonight –  
>Is it something that you saw or heard?<br>Only yesterday, your tone was proud and bright,  
>Yellow silver, full, and so assured.<p>

Moon, despite the clarity of sky,  
>Metaphors of cloud that fluff with grey<br>Drift across your rounded face to spy;  
>Feeding back, there's awfully much to say.<p>

Moon, you have a role to play up there –  
>We below must bear the earthly pain.<br>Duty bound, we shoulder sorrows fair –  
>You are free from our grotesque disdain.<p>

Moon, we depend on you to shine  
>When the sun retires down below.<br>Add to that your grandest role divine:  
>Tidal Lord, to keep the seas in tow!<p>

Moon, I hope you take to heart our plea –  
>Needless is the reason for your blue.<br>Beaming, you should give the night its glee:  
>We're despairing – so we look to you.<p>

Mark R Slaughter 2009


	11. Chapter 8

Vampires can live a very long time, theoretically forever, which means their idea of getting down to business can be damn leisurely.

LAURELL K. HAMILTON, _Obsidian Butterfly_

~*L*~

Lovino Vargas, despite all he wanted to deny it, was getting used to having his blood drunk. The initial feelings of light headed powerless had come that first night when he had made the agreement with Antonio to become his donor, but the following day he had been in control of his voice and had not passed out. Now after their 'blood sharing' this morning of the third day, he felt only slightly weak, but still desperately hungry.

"Yo donna, make me another funnel cake." he yawned as he patted Bella on the shoulder.

She swatted at him glaring with her eyes sparkling.

"You want one then help me make it." She poked his nose, "I'm not your servant young knecht."

"But I'm exhausted." He groaned, "Having your blood drained may not affect you immortals but I can assure you that even with all that food you've been shoveling down my throat, most high with iron, having your blood drained three days in a row is very detrimental on a human body."

Bella turned sympathetic and pulled out a stool from beneath the counter patting the seat.

"Fine then, but you still have to sit here and keep me company while I prepare it."

Lovino sighed and hopped onto it crossing his legs.

"Fine."

Bella laughed and turned back towards the stove where she had already been making all the preparations to make funnel cake anyways. She now determined that she needed to make other foods for Lovino as well. Meat was a necessity and other grain, probably some warmed sliced fruit wasn't a bad idea either. As she bustled around the kitchen she began talking quickly and apologetically to the young man.

"I'm sorry that your having to endure so much in such a short amount of time but Antonio was really in bad shape so he needs all the blood you can give him in order to recover."

"And in the meantime nothing is being done about my brother." Lovino growled.

"You and he both promised me that he would do everything he could to find Feli. So far, he's done nothing but drink my blood, talk with me a bit, and sleep. Mostly sleep. I didn't think you guys even slept." He finished with a grumble.

Bella laughed.

"How many times have we told you that practically everything you know about vampires is wrong? We do indeed eat and drink just like a human and all the tastes are the same, although it's probably safe to say that we experience the tastes on a higher sense level than humans are able to. But we do need blood as well in order to survive, that is absolutely true. Which is why Toni is drinking yours like water at present." She looked over her shoulder at the young man with concern, "Where is he by the way?"

"Sleeping like he always does after he takes." Lovino waved a hand dismissively but rubbed his neck subconsciously. He didn't really need the white cloth around it, by the time he managed to extract himself from the death grip that Antonio always clutched him in when the man fell asleep after feeding the blood had stopped trickling down his neck. A simple wipe of a washcloth was really enough but to him the white cloth tied around his neck symbolized his sacrifice and reminded him of why he was doing this, not out of want, out of necessity.

Bella caught the gesture reflected in the back of the shiny stove and smiled sadly to herself before she continued with her previous train of thought.

"Ah good. He needs it. Well anyways, we do need sleep. Just like a human, without sleep we will start to hallucinate as our body reacts to the fatigue and strain on the brain. The only difference is that we can't die from lack of sleep. Also, as you've no doubt noticed from your previous dealings with Antonio during the day and from being here, we are perfectly fine in the sunlight, and most certainly do not sparkle."

She laughed at the ridiculousness of the thought.

"If anything, we probably have a better potential of sparkling in the moonlight. We are creatures of the night after all so our beauty and heightened features show more prominently during those hours."

Lovino had noticed this actually. Bella was quite beautiful under normal light, but when they had left his apartment two nights ago, the young vampire woman had practically glowed with radiance in the light from the moon and the stars. Her golden blond hair shimmering as if it was really flecked with the precious metal. He didn't dare let his mind wander over what Antonio would look like when he finally saw the man in similar night light.

Lovino shivered and to avoid thinking anymore on that topic he went back to annoyance regarding his brother.

"Fine the bastard needs a lot of sleep, he's like a fucking cat right now, but in the meantime I am still no closer to finding out what happened to Feliciano then when it was just the fucking police and detective on the case. A vampire should be able to find out if something supernatural went on. When is he ever going to investigate?!"

Bella was about to admonish him teasingly on his language and give the best answer she could think of when a different voice spoke up, a cheerful much stronger than days before, but still laced with slight exhaustion voice. A voice he had learned all too well and gotten very close to.

~*L*~

"I really thought she was going to lock you in your room." Lovino sneered, "You're a fucking weakling after all."

Antonio laughed a little as they walked on the path towards the far end of Adeltine Park.

"Bella is a force to be reckoned with when she thinks she's right. But I'm afraid she's too protective of me currently and is underestimating my strength."

"Well you're definitely not back to normal yet." Lovino sighed looking him up and down from the side and noting that his skin still looked a little thin and sallow, plus he had dressed in a simple old sweater rather than trying to look nice and presentable, and had most certainly not combed his hair, "If anybody walks by they might mistake you for a bum."

Antonio laughed again but quieted when Lovino stopped, breathing heavily.

"Lovi?"

"Here" Lovino whispered, realizing that they had arrived at the point in the path where Steven Elden's body and the knife with his brother's blood on it had been found.

"We're here." He repeated.

Antonio had been more focused on the young man with him then on where they were walking but now that Lovino brought it to his attention, he sensed the strange atmosphere and the senses that alerted him to another supernatural in the area instantly were alert. It was not as strong as it would have been weeks ago, and his nose was not as keen as a werewolf's, except when it came to blood, but that was exactly what he smelled wolf and blood. It was faint and he couldn't tell if there had been more than one, but a werewolf had definitely been in the area in the last two weeks.

"Well aren't you going to investigate?" Lovino asked in irritation, breaking into the vampire's senses.

Antonio shook his head. "I don't need to really. There was a werewolf here recently. There might have been more but I can't tell because of all the human scents that are littering this place. Most likely policemen and detectives."

Lovino shivered and hugged his arms.

"A werewolf?" he whispered, "What does that mean?"

Antonio sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Honestly I don't know."

Lovino folded his arms and glared at the man.

"Well find out! And also, can you tell if my brother was here?"

"I can't tell you if he was here on that specific night Lovi. You told me that he walks through here often to get home from work so of course his scent would be here."

"Then..." Lovino bit his lip, "What about his blood? You're used to mine so you should be able to distinguish his from Steven's right?"

"I can faintly smell formerly spilled blood in the air yes." Antonio closed his eyes and focused on his senses again. Lots of recently and more distantly spilled blood in the air. Animal mostly but the faintest that he was certain was from two weeks ago was definitely human, it was mixed with the werewolf and...yes! There were two different scents to the blood which meant two different humans. But even if it had been fresh he wouldn't have been able to determine if one of them belonged to Feliciano Vargas since all blood was different to a vampire no matter if it belonged to siblings or even twins.

"Well?" Lovino was tapping his foot and fingers impatiently, "Is it or isn't it?"

Antonio sighed.

"Even I can't tell who it belongs to, but yes Lovi, two different humans had blood spilt here two weeks ago."

Lovino had been expecting this but it still made his stomach churn and his breathing go quicker as he rubbed fingers over his wrist in a nervous habit that he had.

"Was there a lot?"

Antonio cringed. He had been really hoping that the young man wouldn't ask that question, such a painful question to tell him. If one of the smells belonged to his brother then the outcome wasn't good. There had indeed been a lot of both blood.

He looked back at the boy and didn't need to say anything as Lovino read the worry and forgiveness in his eyes.

"No." Lovino moaned and put his hands to his eyes to force the tears back, "There is no hope then. Feli's dead, and the werewolf just dragged him off somewhere, choosing him to eat over Steven."

"Unless it was a rogue, werewolves aren't like that Lovino." Antonio spoke sternly, one of his best friends was a werewolf after all, "They rarely ever kill a human without reason and almost never eat one. So there is hope. There is always hope. But there's also a possibility..."

He sighed and put his hands on Lovino's shoulders to force the young Italian to look directly into his eyes as he spoke the greatest possibility.

"There is a possibility that your brother is no longer human."

Lovino blinked at him and pushed away.

"A werewolf?"

Antonio nodded.

Lovino felt sick again.

"What would that mean?"

"We find him first...we'll figure things out from there." Antonio sighed and stroked the boy's hair, pulling him into a hug.

"I have a general idea now Lovino. There are three werewolf packs in the surrounding area of this city. If any of them were involved or no of other recent werewolf activity then there's our lead. I will find Feliciano."

"I promise." He whispered into the young man's hair.

And Lovino didn't even put a protest to being held so tightly but gently in an open space where anyone could see them. He just hid the tears of fear against the man's chest.

~*A*~

"You finally decided work was important I see." Arthur grumbled, "A struggling band without their lead singer can't do much you know."

"Well we were able to create music for future lyrics." Francis smiled, "I told you guys that Toni was too weak to come until now."

"Ya didn't say why though." Gilbert grinned and turned to the Spaniard vampire, "Well what kept you away? Did your boy come back? Have you been occupied monopolizing him?"

Antonio smiled but didn't answer Gilbert's question.

"It doesn't matter why I was away for so long, what matters is that I'm back now and ready to sing. Although, I don't really have any new lyrics."

The others groaned at that and Arthur muttered "bloody useless moron".

Antonio laughed at the comment and shrugged.

"Didn't have the energy for writing I'm afraid."

He turned to Gilbert.

"Does your brother have anything knew for us?"

"Yes he does in fact." Gilbert grinned and produced a sheet of computer paper from the folder that held all of the lyrics Ludwig had given them to use if needed.

"I'll stand by you?" Antonio looked at the title and began to read the lyrics, his eyes went wide, "How recent is this?"

"He wrote it just yesterday actually, when Francis called to let me know that you would be returning today. Why do you ask?" Gilbert looked wary and suspicious.

"Have you read the lyrics?" Antonio asked in return.

Gilbert shook his head.

Antonio passed them back to him and Francis and Arthur read them over the white werewolf's shoulder. Gilbert's eyes went wide as well and Antonio could see that his thoughts were racing.

Francis whistled.

"They're different than usual. More emotional in a heartfelt way. Not a love song per-say but...definitely caring."

Antonio nodded and continued to stare at Gilbert's face it went through several emotions.

"Gil..." he finally breathed, "Has something recently happened in your pack?"

Gilbert went dead still. He raised his eyes to Antonio's with a warning growl at the back of his throat.

"Why do you want to know Blutsauger?"

He rarely ever called Antonio, Francis, or Bella by that name so the fact that he did so now meant that he was very _very _angry and in beta wolf mode.

"Pack business is nobody but the packs."

"Gilbert calm down." Anotnio put his hands up as the furious werewolf rose to his feet and advanced towards him clenching and unclenching his hands. Clearly Gilbert was protecting something, or someone. Antonio had known that he would have to start questioning members of the surrounding packs about Feliciano soon, but it looked like starting with Ludwig Beilschmidt's pack had been the right choice.

Gilbert was still advancing towards him until a flash of purple light shot between them. They both turned to find Arthur glaring at them with his hand stretched palm forwards.

"Enough you two." He snarled, "If you want to fight about supernatural matters then take it outside the studio. Do not involve me in your races long standing feud."

Gilbert let his nails and teeth shrink back as he turned away from Antonio.

"I'm leaving." He growled.

"But the music!" Francis protested, "We've had to turn down gigs because of Antonio but now we can start accepting them again and get paid for what we enjoy doing."

"We're immortals...most of us." He laughed as if he was back to his old self, "We don't really need money, we've been saving up for years and master sorcerer can just make money, the humans can't tell that it's in fact fake. And it's full moon tonight so Ludwig would like me home earlier."

"It's just five. You'll still make it by dinner." Arthur shouted.

Gilbert didn't say anything more as he ran out the door but his thoughts were still racing with fear, worry, panic, and confusion. How had Antonio managed to link the attack on Steven Edelton on his pack? And why had he tried to investigate the case in the first place? Was it possible...?

He looked back over his shoulder to find Antonio standing by the front studio window looking out at him with calculating eyes.

Was it possible that Antonio was connected to Feliciano's brother in some way? Was that the boy that he had bitten and now appeared to be involved with? If that was the case then things could get even more complicated for the pack regarding their newest member than it already was.

He had to talk to his alpha about this. Pack safety could be at stake here. Not to mention, if his brother's new lyrics were anything to go off of...Ludwig's potentially developing feelings.

And Antonio had his own worries that he had to deal with on his own way home. Namely, should he tell Lovino that he might have found a possible lead to his brother, before he was completely sure himself?


	12. Chapter 9

"Why go for something cold and dead, when you can have something hot and panting?"

― K.R. Smith, _Scent_

~*F*~

With the full moon run still fresh in his mind, Feliciano found it hard to really focus on anything else in the next few days. With Matthew as an exception.

Being an even newer member to the pack, Feliciano now felt like a superior to the Canadian wolf that was the same age as him when turned without choice about a year ago. Matthew was only able to stand the mistreatment and abuse for about three months before he took off one day and since then his goal was to put as much distance between himself and that pack, the only reason he had stopped running was because of Gilbert.

Feliciano also found the boy a kindred spirit for this reason. Matthew had actually done what he himself had contemplated several times, of course with his thoughts completely opened that had not been possible for him. Matthew had learned how to close his mind off fairly quickly so he had been able to use his disappearing ability and run with his mind completely blocked from all the pack. And once out of the area he could not hear their furious shouts for him to come home.

And the final reason that Feliciano stayed close to Matthew? He wanted to find an opportunity to get back at the young wolf for hurting him.

_Keep dreaming. _Gilbert's voice chuckled in his head, _Matthew is almost as good as me in the fighting skills department. Certainly more than a match for an inexperienced pup like you. I'm glad that you like him though. You're about the only one that does besides me. _

Feliciano smiled and concentrated to draw the veil over his own thoughts.

_Fine shut me out then. _Gilbert's voice responded in a laughing growl, _I can see when I'm not wanted._

_It's not that you're not wanted. _Feliciano let the thought out, _I just want my own thoughts private at the moment._

_Are you planning an escape again?_

_If I was do you think I would answer honestly? _His thoughts laughed.

_Good point. _Gilbert laughed cheerfully.

Feliciano was about to continue the conversation when there was a knock on his door.

"Si? Chi?"

"Matthew." The quiet voice replied, "Can I come in?"

"Of course." Feliciano grinned and hopped off his bed skipping over to his door. He was starting to feel back to normal, though it bothered him that the reason behind that was because his wolf side had finally gotten what it had been craving for so long. Freedom, even if temporary, and the race through the forest. Which seemed to have made it easier to control now. He was also starting to feel at home and quite liked several of his pack mates. Even the tense feelings that he had still held for Ludwig, despite him being the alpha and therefore the main recipient of Feliciano's devotion and wolf love, had been melting away slowly. There was just something in Ludwig's eyes that made Feliciano feel even more secure and protected than just as an omega of the pack. It appeared that Ludwig felt extra care towards him. Even with Matthew as the newest pack member, it seemed that it was still Feliciano that was his number one priority. And that made the new wolf feel both uneasy and excited at the same time.

"Come in, come in." Feliciano grinned as he opened the door for the nervous wolf. Well Matthew had been mistreated in his last pack so it was only natural that he would be rather wary of this new pack, even if it was the one that his Gilbert was beta over. He felt it his responsibility to make the light blond haired man feel more at ease and welcome in their pack and house. He was certain that Ludwig was trying his best at the same.

"Um Feliciano," Matthew began, nervously adjusting his glasses.

"I told you to call me Feli." He replied with a reassuring smile, "The rest of the pack does and you're one of the pack now so you should as well."

Matthew nodded quickly.

"Anyways...I wondered if you could help me with something? I know I really shouldn't be asking considering I..." his eyes flicked to Feliciano's shoulder where they both knew that fang marks had still not fully disappeared from the skin.

Feliciano waved a hand in dismissal of the guilt and continued to smile.

"If I can then I will be glad to help."

Matthew nodded nervously again and managed to look the other young man in the eyes.

"I want to cook something as a thank you and sort of...peace warming gift for the pack but..." he lowered his eyes again, "I don't feel comfortable in the kitchen by myself. Could you help me?"

Feliciano patted him on the shoulder and grabbed his arm on the way out the door.

~*L*~

Ludwig was currently pacing in his office with Gilbert, Roderich, and Elizaveta staring at him.

"What should I do?" he asked the three after explaining his thoughts to them.

"Remember I told you the same thing when I first told you about my encounter with Antonio on full moon night." Gilbert shrugged, "I didn't know what to do then, still don't really. Though I will say that if Feliciano's brother is in fact the reason Antonio was asking, then the fact that he's involved with a vampire means that he won't turn in a werewolf right, especially if we explain that his brother is now one as well?"

"That may be but there's still the problem of them not being able to meet together yet." Elizaveta sighed, "We can maybe hope that a phone call will be enough. Let them talk to each other at least so they can hear the others voice and assure themselves that they're ok."

"And what if his brother has been turned as well?" Roderich spoke up calmly, "Do you honestly think that in his still not fully controlled state, Feliciano will be able to react fine and easy to the knowledge that his brother is now a creature that is naturally an enemy and dangerous to our kind?"

"Well I have one as a best friend so why not?" Gilbert growled at the theta.

Roderich didn't even blink at the other man.

"All of these are good points." Ludwig sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "So I guess I have to make a final decision now."

The others just looked at him and waited for him to present it.

~*A*~

Antonio had decided to hold off on telling Lovino until he had closed all other options. But on this day now, having spoken to both Ivan Braginski and Mathias Køhler and getting nothing from them and assurances that no rogue or loner activity had been spotted recently, he was left with just Ludwig Beilschmidt's pack and Gilbert's defensive behavior regarding it. He now had a strong lead and it was time to tell Lovino his suspicions. What happened from there was still uncertain, especially if what he suspected to be true was. He could not let Lovino be close to a newly turned werewolf, even if it was his twin brother.

Antonio got up from the comfortable chair in his room and made for the living room where he knew that Lovino was playing backgammon with Bella. The boy had managed to get an entire week off both his jobs but was determined to return to them after that, despite Antonio's insistence that his flock was more than capable of taking care of the young man without his needing to make money. Antonio should be taking advantage of this time to spend every moment with Lovino, but his promise to his donor came first and with a possible lead, he must devote everything to that task.

He had just entered the living room when his cell phone rang.

"Bueno?" he answered and turned around heading back out of the room.

"Is this Antonio Carriedo?" the voice on the phone sounded tired, but determined.

"Si" Antonio answered warily, looking at the number on caller id, it was unknown but a little s showed up underneath. Supernatural.

"This is Ludwig Beilschmidt, my brother gave me your number."

Antonio's heart began racing with anticipation. Could this be...? Was he going to find out before giving Lovino hope?

"My beta told me that you were asking questions about my pack the other day. Questions regarding a possible new pack member."

"Si" Antonio responded again.

"I have two." Ludwig responded, "One was added through request of my brother and decision of my pack members. The other..." he heard Ludwig take a deep breath, "became a wolf just over two weeks ago."

Antonio caught his breath and dared to ask the question.

"Can you tell me his name?"

There was a very long pause before a sigh came.

"If my suspicions are correct, I think you already know."

Antonio looked back over his shoulder to make sure that Lovino had not followed him out of the living room before he headed back into his own room and shut the door leaning back against it.

"Lovino Vargas is my donor. My part of the agreement is to find his brother."

He heard a gasp on the other end.

"Isn't a donor a dangerous thing?"

"There's too much about the circumstances to explain" Antonio waved his hand before he realized that the werewolf alpha was not able to see him. He spoke quickly now.

"What I want to know is the truth."

"You don't like the truth." Ludwig sighed.

Antonio sighed as well and slipped to the floor covering his forehead with an arm.

"I was afraid of that."

"I had no choice you understand? He would have died otherwise."

Antonio sighed again.

"That's not going to make it any easier to explain to his brother, or are you going to tell me that I can't tell him? I can't agree to that if you do. And I certainly don't take orders from werewolves."

Ludwig gave a nervous chuckle at that.

"I didn't expect you to but no I wasn't going to make that request. Actually, if it's ok with you, could they talk?"

Antonio lifted his hand and blinked in surprise.

"You think that I'm going to let my human donor get anywhere close to..."

"No I don't." Ludwig interrupted quickly, "I can't condone that either. For his safety as well as Feliciano's. I meant for them to talk over the phone."

Antonio breathed a sigh of relief. It was everything he had been hoping for, and also dreading. If he let the two talk together, then Lovino might be satisfied and leave his side once more. He didn't think he would last as long as last time if that happened. But as he had told himself before, Feliciano and any information for Lovino about him was the number one priority. A phone call between them certainly fell into that category.

"He's in the living room." Antonio said softly, "I'll go hand the phone to him."

"Ah yes and I must summon Feliciano."

~*F*~

Feliciano and Matthew had begun to have a fun time in the kitchen as they started making the crepes they had decided on. They were in the middle of more laughter when Ludwig's voice entered the new wolf's mind.

_Feliciano, come to my study please. _

_What is it?_

_Just come._

Feliciano sighed and turned apologetically to Matthew.

"I have to go, the alpha calls. I don't know how long I'll be because he won't tell me what he wants."

Matthew's smile fell and he instantly turned nervous again.

"Then I should leave..."  
>"You can't leave the crepes unfinished." Feliciano shook his head, "I'll be back soon."<p>

"But" Matthew tried to protest again but Feliciano held up a hand and grimaced slightly when Ludwig's command came more harshly into his mind again.

_Now Feliciano!_

"You'll be fine and I'll be back." He smiled and hurried off to the study that belonged to his alpha.

"You called me sir?" He asked, poking his head in the door.

"I did." Ludwig replied and held out his cell phone with a deep breath, "Phone. Take as long as you need."

Feliciano blinked in confusion and then his eyes widened.

"Is it?"

Ludwig nodded.

"You're letting me?"

The alpha nodded again with a warm smile.

"I can't stand to see you in distress anymore."

Feliciano's eyes welled up with tears as he grabbed the phone.

"Lovi?"

"My god..." his brother's voice gasped through what he was certain was tears as well, "it really is you. Feli, it is fucking seriously you!"

Feliciano let his tears flow faster as he heard Lovino gasping, laughing, and sobbing on the other end.

"Lovi are you ok?" he managed to ask, "Have you been eating? Sleeping? Is work treating you terribly? Have they not let you have time off despite the circumstances?"

"Circumstances meaning the entire city and then some probably, think your dead?" his brother's choked voice came back in a sarcastic laugh, "Did that cane not tell you anything?"

Despite his joy, Feliciano flinched at the insult directed at Ludwig.

"You can't speak that way to me about my alpha Lovi, even if you are my brother."

"Sorry." And Lovino's voice genuinely sounded like he meant it, "I forgot that you're one of them now as well."

"So your informant told you about me then?" Feliciano smiled and wiped his eyes, "You know that I'm no longer human."

"Yes I know that you're a mannaro. I'm furious about that of course but...Antonio told me that you would have died otherwise so...I guess it's a better alternative."

"Antonio?" Feliciano blinked, "Is that Antonio Carriedo of Blood Moon Rising? It really was him that you were looking up that night? How long have you known him? How did you meet? What's your relationship with him? Are you..."

"Not so many questions." His brother's voice sounded slightly back to normal, with its usual bite to it, "I can't concentrate on that many questions at the moment Feli, I'm just...so glad you're alive and I get to talk to you. And I have questions of my own."

Feliciano settled onto the couch in the room and noticed for the first time that he was alone. Ludwig had left to give him privacy it appeared, not that that mattered since his thoughts had been shocked out of cover by being able to speak freely with his brother.

"Then let's go back and forth asking questions." Feliciano laughed, "Is that Antonio of Blood Moon Rising you're referring to?"

"Si. Are they treating you well? Or are they being cruel to you?"

"They're wonderful Lovi. I don't have a problem with them." _Anymore_ his thoughts added, "Why do you know him?"

"He's hidden from fangirls in the music store a couple of times and we talked then. Does um...shifting I guess you probably call it...does it hurt you a lot?"

Feliciano shivered uncomfortably but decided it was better to not make his brother worry anymore than he probably already was.

"Not at all. I'm used to it by now. What is your relationship with him now?"

There was a long pause where Feliciano was certain that his brother was deciding how much to tell him as well.

"He helped me find you, since he's a vampire and I suspected that supernaturals might have had a hand in your disappearance since that bastard Steven was clearly mauled by some animal. He and his flock have been taking care of me so don't worry about that. The donna here force feeds me funnel cakes whether I want them or not."

Feliciano laughed and waited for his brother's next question, but when it came he felt his heart clench with pain and despair.

"When can you come home?"

He took a deep breath and was grateful for once that his thoughts could be read.

_How do I answer him?_

Ludwig's reply came gently.

_Truthfully._

_But I don't know what that is?_

_When you've gained control...it's your choice._

_You would just let me leave?_

_When you've gained control you'll have a better chance of not accidentally attacking and killing him. Since he's been around a vampire the supernatural side isn't a factor anymore. It's just control for your safety as well as his._

Feliciano felt tears in his eyes again and great warmth and eternal gratitude towards his alpha.

"I don't know." He spoke into the phone, "I have to gain complete control first and by then, I might honestly not want to leave."

It was the truth and probably what his brother had been expecting but, he knew that it would still hurt Lovino deeply.

"I thought as much." Lovino sighed, "Then let me rephrase the question...when can I see you again?"

Feliciano wiped the fresh tears from his eyes and replied with full joy.

"When I gain control. Definitely once I've gained control."

"And until then I can talk to you like this at least?"

_Yes_

Ludwig's reply came immediately. _You'll be getting your own phone soon and then you can talk whenever you want, without needing my permission._

Feliciano started crying again after he had just stopped.

_Grazie! Grazie Ludwig! For that! For this! For everything!_

"Si Lovi. We'll probably get sick of hearing each other's voices after just a few weeks."

His brother's choked laughter carried through the phone and Feliciano joined in with his own. After several minutes he managed to calm down and Lovino's gasps for breath and coughing died down.

"Well I guess this is goodbye for now Lovi. I promised to help the new pack member make crepes."

There was an uneasy silence before his brother's voice spoke up, more reserved than before.

"Yes I have to return to beating Bella at chess so..."

Neither of them wanted to say it. There was an unspoken fear between the two of them that despite all assurances and promises that there would be more conversations and an eventual reunion, that they would never have such an opportunity again. To say goodbye...could mean the complete end.

Feliciano finally took a breath and was the braver twin.

"Ciao Lovi. Ti amo. Ti amo fratello. Ciao."

He hung up before he could hear Lovino's reply.

~*F*~

When he looked up from his trembling hands holding the cell phone, he found Ludwig standing before him with an uncertain and nervous expression.

"Are...are you ok?" the alpha asked worriedly.

"Couldn't you figure that out from my thoughts?" Feliciano whispered.

"I want to hear you say it out loud." Ludwig replied.

Feliciano smiled and wiped the tears away from his eyes as he got up and stared straight into the crystalline blue eyes.

"I'll be ok in awhile. I'm still scared but...now I know that I can talk to Lovi again, and better yet I can _see_ him and hug him again someday. And..." he put his hand on Ludwig's cheek which made the alpha flinch in surprise and his eyes went slightly wide, "You made that possible."

Feliciano placed a brief kiss on his alpha's lips before he let go and walked back to the kitchen where Matthew had been joined by Elizveta.

_Grazie Ludwig. _

Ludwig touched his lips with tentative fingers as his mind raced. What was this young Italian doing to his life? To his nerves? And most frightening...to his heart?

~*L*~

Lovino handed the phone back to Antonio who clutched onto his hand tightly. Lovino didn't flinch or cry out from the pain of the man crushing his bones with supernatural strength. But he did look up into Antonio's pleading eyes.

"Stay." Antonio whispered, "Please?"

"I have no choice." Lovino gritted his teeth to keep himself from crying any more than he already had that day, "Bella will kill me if you waste away from lack of blood. And if I'm dead then I can't keep my promise to meet my brother again someday."

Antonio loosened his grip in relief but he still didn't let go and Lovino didn't really want him to. He didn't want to talk but that didn't really matter to either of them. He just leaned his head against Antonio's chest and let the vampire run his fingers through his hair. And neither said a word.

There was no need.


	13. Chapter 10

"I've fallen in love with you. I love you even now when you sit before me with the eyes of a wolf. So take pity upon the fool I have become. I forgot it was only a bargain between us."  
>― Ronda Thompson, <em>The Untamed One<em>

~*F*~

The phone call seemed to have done the trick for the most part. Feliciano threw himself into gaining control with a new excited fire and fervor that made the other pack members feel more at ease with. And he tried to keep this attitude even when it came to learning combat skills with Gilbert and shooting with Vash. The young man hadn't been lying when he said he was a terrible shot and he had to endure Vash's annoyance and insults nearly every day. But he was slowly getting better. He could at least hit the target _half_ of the time now.

Matthew was also beginning to adjust to being a part of a pack again and the other members were beginning to accept him as one of them as well. He had started helping Lili with the homework that she and Vash couldn't figure out and Liz found him a wonderful asset in the kitchen in the morning. Of course Feliciano and Gilbert were still the closest to him and Vash still looked at him with slight distrust. Feliciano had found out that the man had had experience with a werewolf with invisibility in the past and it hadn't been a pleasant one. But Vash still tolerated Matthew enough to talk to him occasionally at the dining room table and had even agreed to let him train alongside Feliciano. He was relieved that Matthew was a better shot. At least he didn't have to deal with two incompetent marksmen.

But the greatest change in the pack household seemed to be taking place with Ludwig. Outwardly the alpha appeared to be the same, authoritative, thoughtful, a bit gruff at times, but still deeply loyal and caring very deeply about his pack as a whole, but especially the two new members. Inside however...

Gilbert had managed to get hold of his brother's latest lyrics and the change in their style and meaning was becoming even more apparent to his view of lyrics, and he had been reading over _a lot_ of lyrics lately. Since he had rejoined the band after his absence, Antonio had been creating a lot of new songs and requesting the other members to read over the lyrics first, so that they could better understand them when creating the music. Antonio's creations were much more heartfelt than before and genuinely carried great emotion with them, even with a fun song like Stutter. Really the only difference between Ludwig and Antonio at the moment was that the vampire was not even trying to hide the fact that he was in love with _his_ Vargas twin.

But he had no doubt of the fact that Ludwig's feelings towards Feliciano were growing stronger with each passing day. It was safe to say that the tough alpha might very soon be in love with his newest omega. Whether Feliciano would reciprocate those feelings was a different understanding. Since the young man had been spending more time with training and gaining control lately he hadn't been around Ludwig as often as in the past. For this reason, Gilbert wasn't able to assess their interactions very much, and just this week Feliciano had gained control over his thoughts and was now able to keep them private with very little effort. This meant that the thoughts which had been giving his inner emotions away were now blocked from the beta's access. And even if he could manage to watch the Italian's interaction with Ludwig it probably wouldn't be very reliable since the young man showed affection and was very open with _all_ of the pack members.

So for now all Gilbert had to go on was his brother's feelings and the difficult task of waiting for something to happen that would give any indication. And the beta wasn't alone in his wonderings. Since Elizaveta was basically alpha female and considered herself the matron of the pack, she was concerned over the well being and happiness of all its members, but especially those of her alpha and the second newest omega. Despite having gained control and acceptance of what he was and the pack, as well as comfort from knowing that his brother was alive and well and they would be reunited someday, she also knew that Feliciano was still fragile and needed attention from all of them the most. She felt great affection towards the young pup and sincerely hoped that he would remain happy always. It was nice to see his smile. And she had noticed that his smile seemed to be even brighter whenever Ludwig was present. Since the boy had closed off his thoughts now she wasn't certain if that was just because he greatly respected the alpha and was so grateful to him for letting him speak with his brother, or if there was something more tender and personal in nature. She sincerely hoped it was the second for Ludwig's sake especially. Like Gilbert she had become aware of Ludwig's growing feelings almost immediately, but also like the beta she was unable to determine Feliciano's, based on the way he acted normally.

It was a dilemma. And one that they both hoped would be sorted out soon. Because if Feliciano gained full control and Ludwig gave him the ok to leave before anything happened between the two of them, they were certain that the new wolf would never come back. And that would most likely hurt their alpha even more than he probably understood.

~*L*~

Lovino placed yet another page of lyrics onto the growing pile before him and groaned. This was getting out of hand. When he had come into Antonio's room earlier his intent had been to locate a warmer sweater because he had forgotten to grab the one from his apartment when he had gone for a supply raid after putting in his two week notice at the music store. At the insistence of the flock he had chosen one of his jobs to quit, and the music store had seemed the better option because it left the day open for him to spend with Bella before her mate Nathanial got home and made the atmosphere rather frustrating, what with his never saying sentences with more than three fucking words in them. It was infuriating how quiet and uninvolved he seemed to be! Besides that, if he began going to college in the future, as both Antonio and Bella insisted he should, then he would need the day for classes. And, since Feli was now being taken care of by his pack, he didn't need Lovino to support him with two jobs. That thought wasn't overly comforting and the thought of the werewolves made him sick, but not having to deal with work 11 hours nearly every day might add a bit to Lovino's sanity and well being.

His train of thought paused and he sucked in a hissing breath. There was another reason he had chosen that job too though. It was because of Antonio. The young, handsome, _Stop it!_, leader of the flock had begun attending band sessions even more frequently lately, which given the number of lyrics in a pile before him Lovino could understand why. This meant that he was gone during the day most days and didn't return until just before dinner time. At which point he immediately began clinging to Lovino and making it all too clear to every member of the flock that he had greatly missed his donor.

Lovino shook his head. Too close. Way too close for comfort. He wasn't used to anyone but his brother being that close and at present he couldn't make up his mind if he liked it or hated it with a passion. But it wasn't just the clinginess that made him uncomfortable, it was the unspoken words that Antonio never said to him, and the looks that he gave to him. It had all started after he had talked with Feliciano, after he had told Antonio that he wasn't going anywhere despite the vampire having completed his half of the bargain. By all his understanding the agreement had been fulfilled and he had every right to leave the flock's home now and stop being Antonio's donor. Except there was Bella and her unknown vengeful fury that would come down upon him if he let Antonio waste away again without his blood. And quite frankly, now that he had gotten to know the Spanish vampire better, Lovino didn't really want that to happen either. So in the meantime he had started commanding Antonio to do simple little tasks. Get me this particular movie that just came out, Bella wants to add strawberries to tomorrow's waffles, bring some home from the store, I work with it every night so I'm sick of coffee, take me out for some tea the next day you have off. Each small order seemed to make Antonio's voice grow more cheerful and his eyes shine brighter. It appeared that he loved being needed by Lovino, even if it meant he had to be submissive and cater to the young human's every little whim. But with each completed task he would look at Lovino nervously as if expecting the boy to finally be satisfied and take off. And it was in these instances that Lovino sensed that something more than a fear of loss of blood hid behind Antonio's gaze and actions towards him. It was more like a fear for the loss of Lovino himself.

Too close. Way too close! And that was why he had chosen to keep his night job instead. Because that meant that he could try and create distance between himself and Antonio. With the vampire working during the day, and him working at night it meant that they rarely spent more than a couple of hours in each other's company anymore. Lovino preferred it that way...didn't he?

_Way Too Close!_

Lovino snapped his eyes open and let out a shaking breath. He stared down at the papers before him, not really seeing the words on them as he inhaled deeply. Of course he preferred it that way. That was the way things worked. He didn't let anyone close to him so he could focus on Feliciano's needs above his own. He had made a promise to their grandfather upon his death, that he would watch over Feliciano and make sure that his younger twin was always happy, well taken care of, and able to live the life he desired and deserved. That was the way he had always lived his life. But...

_You weren't able to prevent him from nearly being killed and turned into a werewolf were you?_

Lovino gritted his teeth and tried to force that thought out of his head. It was a freak accident. Even if he had been home there was nothing he could have done.

_Except you weren't at home were you? You were spending time with Antonio in the coffee shop._

"I was cleaning up! That's my job!"

_You were only half heartedly cleaning up._

Lovino gritted his teeth harder and stood up abruptly. Bella might have heard his exclamation and would come to investigate. He didn't want to be caught with the lyrics like some sneaking thief. But why would it matter? He hadn't gone into the room with the intent to search through Antonio's private things and read some stupid song lyrics. He had just wanted a sweater. A fucking warm sweater because the vampires didn't notice that their mansion was about 10 fucking degrees colder than it should have been.

He groaned and rubbed his head. He hadn't meant to dislodge the box up in Antonio's closet when he had tried to pull a thick warm looking sweater out from under it. And he certainly hadn't intended to start reading the pieces of paper that had fallen to the floor.

_You were curious. It's a natural reaction for one to want to fulfill their curiosity. _

Lovino growled and shook his head. Not for him it wasn't. That thinking was selfish. And he was supposed to be selfless. The good of his brother. That was all that mattered.

_Feli's not your responsibility anymore. He has a pack and an alpha that looks after him now._

"He's still my brother! He will always be my responsibility! I can't think of myself. I can't think of Antonio and..."

_His feelings? Considering giving in to them?_

"No way in hell!"

He heard the footsteps pounding their way up the stairs and quickly launched out of Antonio's room and raced for his own room. Why was he running like a thief about to be caught. He hadn't done anything wrong.

_Not true, your thoughts are wrong. All wrong to your usual way of thinking._

"They are not." He moaned as he slipped inside his room and closed the door behind him with a soft click. He stood panting with his back to the wooden surface.

_If you were really staying just to keep yourself safe to see Feliciano again then you wouldn't care about Antonio and what his lyrics and unspoken looks tell you. You would just ignore them and brush them off like everyone else that have ever tried to get close to you. _

"I have to stop thinking like this."

_Is it really for Feliciano's well being that you're trying to keep distance between yourself and Antonio, or is it for your own? To avoid having to face your own uncertain feelings. Is it Antonio that you feel is too close, or is it yourself?_

"Mannaggia tua Antonio...Perché mi ami?!"

_And, why do I feel like I might return those feelings..._

~*A*~

When Antonio entered his room he instantly noticed box and pile of papers on his floor. He wondered if Bella had gone through and decided to organize the collection of lyrics by title, subject, or date written. Or maybe she was just putting the ones already used towards the bottom and leaving the other ones at the top. But upon going through the pile himself it looked like there was no organization at all. Yet he could tell that several weren't in the same order that he had put them in the box. He blinked in confusion and began placing them all back in the box before turning to the closet which was wide open. And that's when he noticed the sweater lying in a heap on the closet floor. It was a particularly warm one which he had received from a coworker for Christmas once before the band had formed, back when he worked in cafe in a different town. Being a vampire only extreme cold could affect him so he never had need of a sweater in general. A human on the other hand...

And then he stopped and stared down at the box of lyrics in his hands and felt fear lace his heart. He knew who it was that had gone through them. The box must have fallen when they had grabbed for the sweater, because they were cold. Because Lovi was human and it was cold in the vampire's home.

This did not bode well. He had to find Lovi and explain. It was still too soon. It wasn't time to tell him yet, but now...it might be too late to make him stay. Lovino Vargas might not be coming home after work. But he couldn't let that happen. Not without talking to the young man first.

_After all_...he picked up the plastic grocery bag that he had dropped by the door..._I have to fulfill my latest task and give my donor the apples he asked for._

The doorbell over the shop entrance tinkled as Antonio stepped through it into the only partially crowded coffee joint. The girl behind the counter looked at him with wide eyes as he approached the counter. He grinned at her and set the plastic bag on the counter.

"Hola" he greeted her cheerfully, easily hiding the terror and unease that he felt inside.

"Bo...bonjour." the girl replied hastily and pulled a deep brown pigtailed braid from off her shoulder and dropped it behind her, "What...what can I get for you?"

"Ah well" Antonio looked down at the counter, "Could I talk to Lovi actually?"

"Lovi." the girl frowned and her brown eyes creased in confusion before she snapped her fingers, "Ah you mean Lovino."

Antonio nodded still smiling as widely as he could.

"Sorry, he left about half an hour ago.

Antonio blinked and his smile fell.

"But I thought he worked until closing? That's still 2 hours away."

"He didn't seem to be feeling well and he gave us a replacement instead."

_Replacement?_

"Ah Bonjour Toni" Francis' grinned as he came out of the back supply room with more cups, "Here to see Lovino are we?"

Antonio blinked and gaped at Francis.

"What are you doing here?!"

Francis' smile faltered a bit and he turned quickly to the girl while he still had some of it.

"Rachelle, be a dear and take the order to the couple in the corner. I need to speak with my friend here for a moment."

The girl, Rachelle, nodded and flipped her hair nervously again as she went off to do as Francis asked.

Francis and Antonio watched her go before the blond turned back to his friend with a serious expression and beckoned him closer so they could whisper.

"Something happened to Lovino today. I'm not entirely certain what but I met him in the alley behind this shop and he seemed to be out of sorts. It's not the same as when he was worried about his brother. I can tell that this is different. I offered to replace him for the night and he accepted without complaint. That's not like him at all."

Antonio caught his breath in frustration and dread.

"Did he tell you where he was going?"

"Not exactly, but I did here him muttering something about 'Feli saying it was a good place to think' before he disappeared around the corner. And he seemed a bit uneasy while he was muttering."

Antonio closed his eyes and tried to think of what that could mean. A place that Feliciano had liked to think. That could be any number of places. A place that made Lovino feel uneasy. Suddenly he had it.

"Dios no!" he hissed making some of the customers close to them look around in curiosity and alarm.

"What is it?" Francis asked in alarm, "Do you know where he headed?"

Antonio simply whirled around, completely forgetting the bag on the counter as he took off at a run for Adeltine Park.

~*F*~

Ludwig sat in his comfortable arm chair reading with a piece of blank parchment and a mechanical pencil on the table beside him when Feliciano entered the room. The strong alpha looked up in surprise at his young omega and Feliciano saw him tense just slightly. It had been at least three days since they had had any contact with each other, and about 2 weeks since he had kissed Ludwig. He still wasn't entirely certain why he had done it either. He tried to reason that he was just so caught up with gratitude for his alpha that he had shown it in the way he preferred best. But then why the lips, why not the cheek or even the forehead? Feliciano was trying to puzzle over these thoughts when Ludwig closed his book with a sigh and broke the silence.

"Felciano, is there something you need? I thought you were helping Matthew and Gilbert make pancakes for the competition tomorrow?"

Feliciano laughed nervously and closed his eyes.

"Well uh, you see..." he bit his lip nervously. The truth was that he had just wanted to see Ludwig again and spend some time with him since they had both been busy so much lately and hadn't really spoken more than a few words to each other in passing or at dinner. But it was clear that Ludwig was uneasy around him as well so he might mistake those reasons as hiding something more. He had to come up with a different excuse.

"I'm tired." Feliciano chose at last, "Training has been really hard on my body and mind lately so I'm really fatigued and would just love some sleep. But I don't want to disappoint Gil and Mattie who are really enjoying my company and help so I can't just tell them that." With his lie in full swing now he faced his alpha at last, staring into those gorgeous blue depths as he stated the final part and hoped it would be accepted, "So I was really hoping you would let me get some needed sleep in here and you could maybe tell Gilbert via the connection that you had something you wanted to talk to me about and therefore I couldn't continue to help them."

It all came out much too fast and loud for it to truly sound believable but he hoped that Ludwig would still buy it, or at least not turn him away. He really wanted to spend some time with him, even if it was just to be in the same room with him and fake sleep. Though...he still didn't understand why it was so important that he be allowed this.

_Because he's your alpha, every pack member has a desire to be close to the alpha, that's just a given._

But he knew this was just something his mind always came up with because so much in his life had been changing lately that he was scared to admit that yet another thing was shifting into an area he was unused to. While he had been a terrible flirt in his human life, he had never truly been serious about any of them. He had never really fallen in love with another person to the point that he wanted nothing more than to spend every moment with them and show them all the affection and devotion that he had in his heart. He knew that love for your family, love for your friends, love of god, and love for that special person you were meant to be with were all different things. And now...it seemed that he was finding out just how different and was uncertain of what to do with this love of the last kind. And he was terrified that if he gave in and showed Ludwig, it would be refused. And he knew that that would completely destroy the new life he was beginning to accept as being his future. Because he would still have to face Ludwig every day of his life, because he was the alpha, and Feliciano was one of his omegas. Wolf dynamics sucked!

Ludwig sighed, snapping Feliciano out of his thoughts.

"Go ahead." he gestured at the couch by the window, "I'll pass your message on to Gilbert."

Feliciano breathed a sigh of relief, hiding his delighted eyes and grin behind a huge fake yawn and hand.

"Thanks a bunch, Ludwig."

The alpha nodded.

"Rest is important." he picked back up his book and pretended to read again, but his eyes slipped to the side of the page and watched Feliciano as the young wolf lay down with a contented sigh, eyes staring up at the ceiling for a few seconds before they slipped closed. Ludwig closed his own eyes and conveyed Feliciano's lie to his beta before he opened his eyes again and tried to focus on the book and not on the breathing of the other person in the room.

_Say no more, Bruder. _His brother's grinning reply came back almost instantly, _We'll leave you two alone then. Enjoy each other's company._

Ludwig gritted his teeth and snapped back to his brother.

_I don't like what you're insinuating. I really just wish to talk with him. Get those other ideas out of your head._

He waited for more snide remarks from his brother but none came and with a sigh he tried to go back to his book. But instead of seeing the words on the page, other words floated before his eyes, words from his mind. Words that would not be ignored a moment longer. He sighed and put the book down to pick up the piece of paper and pencil instead. A new song wanted to be born.

~*A*~

The cold of the night hung in the air, Antonio sensed it, but didn't feel it with the same bite that he was sure any humans out would feel it. But there was only one human in the park that night. Since Elden's death, many were afraid to visit it. That would pass for most of the other residents of the town, but he had been so sure that for one at least...it would never stop holding horror. And he had been hoping for that in fact, because he knew that the park held other dangers at night, not to a normal human, but to one touched by the supernatural, the park could mean death. But fortunately Lovino seemed to be fine, if not quite cold, as he stood in just a long sleeve shirt and light jacket under the light of one of the park lamps.

Antonio breathed a sigh of relief and was about to call out to him when Lovino turned to face him, as if sensing the presence of the one he was bound to. Antonio couldn't read the expression in the boy's eyes or on his set lips, still he knew that something was wrong. Was it possible? Had he misjudged the young man and he had really been touched by one of them already? The soul takers. Or was it simply that Lovino was scared of him, and hated him now that he had read the lyrics and suspected what Antonio's feelings were. Either way he really needed to get closer to his donor and talk to him, maybe he could try and convince him that he was wrong, that he was in love with someone else, someone he was keeping in secret. But even as he thought that he knew that Lovino wouldn't believe him. The young man was smarter than that, he would instantly know that if that were the case then it wouldn't matter if he left and stopped being Antonio's donor, because Antonio would have someone to replace him. No, he couldn't lie. It would have to be the truth. Lovino knew, yet what Antonio feared for didn't seem to be in those beautiful grass eyes. Only...sorrow.

That cut him more than fear or anger would have and he took several quick steps towards Lovino.

"Lovi? What are you doing here?"

"Go away, bastard." the boy's voice was a pretend of his usual bite, "I want to be alone."

Antonio took several more steps towards him. Lovino made no move.

"Lovi it's dangerous here at night. Not just from crazed humans or supernaturals like me, but others that I have yet to tell you about. Please, you can think at home in your own room. Or..." he stopped and ran a hand through his hair trying to smile, "if you prefer, back in your apartment."

Lovino still made no reaction. No gasp of surprise, no indication that he was even listening to Antonio's words. The complete change in character made Antonio almost certain that he hadn't sensed that atmosphere properly. That Lovino had already been touched by those devils! He had to touch Lovino to know for sure.

Antonio walked the rest of the distance and hesitantly reached out a hand to take one of Lovino's.

Thank God! It might be chilled from the night air but there was still warmth underneath it. Atonio breathed a sigh of relief and dropped Lovino's hand to strip his jacket off and wrap it over Lovino's own in order to get him more warm. Then he pulled Lovino against him and wrapped his arms around the just slightly smaller man. He tried to breathe evenly against Lovino's ear, though he was trembling with nerves of what was going to happen next, and he tried to speak in his usual cheerful voice.

"Lovi, really it's too cold for you out here and I'm not much help with that I'm afraid. We need to get you back to the house. Bella will make you hot chocolate and I promise that I'll turn up the thermostat and..."

"Tell me it's my blood that you desire."

Lovino's words made his own die on his lips and he inhaled sharply, trying to keep his voice from conveying the panic under it. So they had come to it at last. Moment of truth. But maybe he could still hall for a bit longer.

"What are you asking that for suddenly Lovi?" he laughed and loosened his grip a bit to look down at the boy, "That's not really like you to worry about something like that. Are you afraid of not being needed anymore? Just because Feli doesn't need you anymore doesn't mean that I don't either. I'm a vampire and you're my donor."

Lovino did not look at him as he tried to push Antonio away.

"You were supposed to lie, not come up with excuses."

Antonio flinched and he allowed himself to be pushed farther away. He sighed and dropped his fake joviality.

"You want me to tell you that it's only your blood that I desire?"

Lovino nodded, not looking at him.

"Why?"

"Because that's easier for me to deal with."

Antonio laughed, not particularly cold but it was still not his usual one.

"Are our feelings scaring us Lovino? Not used to feeling for ourselves instead of our precious brother? Afraid to accept something that could mean a change to our usual way of going about life?"

The young human's eyes flashed to him with some of their usual flare before they dulled slightly again and he looked down at the concrete path between them.

"Stop loving me."

Antonio caught his breath and closed his eyes taking a deep breath to try and calm his emotions down. He hadn't yelled at anyone in a long time, and he had never thought that the next person he did would be Lovino. He didn't want it to be. He forced his voice to come out as levelly as he could.

"Lovino...I never thought you were so weak."

Lovino looked at the other man in shock. Antonio was staring at him with eyes that were tinged with slight crimson at the corners and his lips were parted to reveal that his eye teeth had elongated slightly. He didn't look frightening like he had that night in the coffee shop when he had first revealed his true identity to Lovino, but he also didn't look any more beautiful than he did normally. This Antonio, looked like the powerful and comanding vampire flock leader that he was supposed to be. Someone that demanded respect for himself, and for those that he cared about. Those that he deemed to be equals. And at the moment, it was clear that he was disappointed in the young human that he had made a bond through blood with and had taken in to his home and flock. And this made Lovino finally understand the way that Antonio looked at him, and the reason that he had fallen in love with difficult Italian in the first place.

_Because he sensed in me something different, something that he could respect. Someone that he would be proud to have stand by his side in the future. And right now, I've let that person be pushed aside by fear._

Lovino felt tears start pouring down his face and he didn't wipe them away.

"Bastard." he gasped out, "I don't want to be weak either. I don't know how to react to this."

Antonio's eyes softened but he didn't step toward the young man. Instead he closed his eyes and let his soft voice carry on the cold night breeze.

_"You wanna run away, run away_

_And you say that it can't be so_

_You wanna look away, look away_

_But you stay cause it's all so close_

_When you stand up and hold out your hand_

_In the face what I don't understand_

_My reason to be brave"_

He let his voice die and opened his eyes to stare directly at Lovino. The other man stared back at him with his usual spark back in his eyes. His lips were set in a firm line and his hands were clenched by his sides, trying to hold in the emotions that he was feeling, as they always were. He was Lovi once more, and it made Antonio smile, genuinely smile now.

"Welcome back Lovi. I missed you."

Lovino closed his eyes and gritted his teeth before he shouted out in furry.

"God dammit bastard, I love you!"

Antonio laughed and stepped forward to wrap his brave young donor in his arms and kiss the top of his hair.

"Si. Yo también, Lovi. Te amo."

"Bastard." Lovino hissed against his chest and Antonio laughed again before cupping his hand under Lovino's chin and bringing their lips together. And Lovino did not hesitate to kiss back with all the emotion that he was no longer afraid to feel. Antonio...was his reason to be brave.

~*L*~

Ludwig placed his pencil down and breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't entirely aware of what he had been writing, that happened sometimes when he created lyrics, the inspiration came out through the pencil without his being consciously aware of what he had scrawled. He would then take the time to look over it afterwards and fix any errors in sentence structure if needed. He held up the piece of paper and began to read.

_There you stand opened heart, opened doors_

_Full of life with a world that's wanting more_

_But I can see when the lights start to fade_

_The day is done and your smile has gone away_

Ludwig stopped reading and caught his breath. These lyrics, like so many of the others he had written lately, were directed at his uncertain struggling pack member. He had noticed that Feliciano was most cheerful during the daytime, laughing and ever so talkative. But it seemed that the instant the moon started to rise and he saw it, he became subdued and closed himself off a bit. Ludwig knew that it was because the moon reminded him of his other self which he could easily forget during the daytime despite the enhanced abilities that it brought to him. In a way, this was both good, and bad. Good because it meant that, during the day at least, they got to experience Feliciano as he was when he was human. Bad because their pack could still be attacked in the daylight just as easily as night and if he had subdued the wolf so much during the day, he might not be able to shift quickly enough to keep himself safe.

Ludwig sighed again and shook those unpleasant worries out of his head as he continued reading.

_Let me raise you up_

_Let me be your love_

He caught his breath and stared at those words. What the, _what did I mean by that? Did I mean let me represent the love of the pack, the love of the wolf? _He looked over at Feliciano who had fallen asleep already with a peaceful but slightly pained expression on his face. The soft wash of the moon played over his face, far enough away from the lamp that it's light was the only thing to illuminate the sleeping boy. No not a boy, a young man, a young wolf. Feliciano gave a soft sigh and unconsciously placed an arm up on the couch-rest behind him. The light caught the contours of his face and made his eyelashes shimmer slightly. Gott was he beautiful.

That thought shook Ludwig with shock. That wasn't something that an alpha should normally think regarding one of their pack members. A child sure, a sibling maybe, a mate of course, but not a young subordinate male. With growing confusion and unease he turned his attention once more to the lyrics and continued to read. The chorus would most likely tell him what he needed to know about the song's intent, and his own feelings which he very rarely could express in spoken word. Most were just too confusing and unknown to him that he couldn't get out what they were when he spoke. That was why he wrote them instead and let the pencil convey and make sense of them.

_May I hold you as you fall to sleep_

_When the world is closing in_

_And you can't breathe here_

_May I love you, may I be your shield_

_When no one can be found_

_May I lay you down_

Ludwig let the paper fall from his trembling hands. He didn't want to read anymore. He didn't need to read anymore to understand what it was he was feeling now. He put his head in his hands and closed his eyes before whispering out his thoughts.

"Mein gott. I love him. I've fallen in love with him."

He lifted his head and looked over at the sleeping figure once more. Peaceful and perfect. Ludwig stood up and went over to kneel down beside him. He brushed some bangs off of Feliciano's forehead and the young man sighed and shivered slightly in his sleep. Ludwig felt his heart twist and looked quickly behind him to make sure the door was closed all the way. He would hear it if someone tried to open and step inside. He took a deep shaky breath and ran his fingers over Feliciano's forehead once more, speaking softly,

"Feliciano?"

The boy didn't stir and his breathing remained deep and even. Ludwig looked at his sleeping face once more. With him fast asleep it would be easy, so easy to kiss him. Just once of course.

The alpha bent forward and let his lips hover slightly over Feliciano's. He could feel the warm breath against his lips now and that was unnerving for some reason. Close. Too close. Hastily he turned farther up and lay his lips against the young wolf's brow instead. Not entirely satisfied, but refusing to let his animalistic needs win out he stood up and made a hasty retreat for the door.

Ludwig stopped with his palm just resting on the handle and turned back to gaze as Feliciano just one more time. The figure didn't appear to have stirred at all. He gave a sigh and leaned his head against the door and closed his eyes.

_All right so I acknowledge that I've fallen in love with him. Now where do I go from here? _

(AN: Well hopefully this makes up for the long wait. I've always loved this fanart I saw where Antonio is on the ground with Lovino having his foot on his chest and shouting through a megaphone at him with all these little hearts coming out of it. Somehow it just struck me as the perfect reaction for Lovino accepting his feelings towards Antonio. So I had to make Lovino's confession in this story resemble that. But I also have always considered him the kind that would find it hard to understand and accept what he was feeling so I tried to convey that as well. The songs used in this chapter were _Brave _by Josh Groban, and _May I _by Trading Yesterday.

And now I am going to ask for a pole for the next few chapters. In my mapping of the story I was always planning on having the next section, Waning Gibus, be a collection of short side and filler stories. About 4 in all. So here is a list of the ones that I have kinda thought out (pick up to 4):

Alfred and Arthur - back story of why they're together

Gilbert and Matthew - before Matthew joined the pack

Arthur and Francis - the unknown history hinted at in chapter 3

Elizaveta and Roderich - before the pack

Vash and Lili - why did Lili turn

Ludwig's Pack - the contest spoken about in this chapter

Ludwig's Pack - Feliciano and Elizaveta's rematch

Feliciano and Lovino - (before this story) the impossible request

Antonio's Flock - the truth behind backgammon

Antonio's Flock - a little night music

I'll wait till at least 10 people vote before I start writing the most popular one first. Thanks! :))


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